


Sea Girl

by te_amour



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Angst, F/F, Female Percy Jackson, Female Protagonist, Friendship, Hunters of Artemis, Hunters of Artemis (Percy Jackson), Lesbian Character, Romance, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:34:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 46,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27522376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/te_amour/pseuds/te_amour
Summary: Wisty still tries to convince herself that she’s on this quest for her friends, but really, who is she kidding? She’s only here for one goddess. As the Bane of Olympus colors the sea crimson, she will do anything to get to Artemis, even if it means defying fate. And what is Rhea up to? Fem!Percy AU
Relationships: Artemis/Percy Jackson
Comments: 13
Kudos: 112





	1. Wisteria's Troubles

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on AO3! This site is hard to use. If you came over from FFN, hi! If you found this here, also hi! Hope you enjoy this rollercoaster ride. Happy reading!

**1**

_'If we'd stuck together, we could've taken him out without the Hunters getting involved. Luke might still be here. Did you think of that?' Thalia snapped at her furiously. 'Luke would_ still be here _!'_

A stiff wind blew through the trees. The shifting of the leafless branches masked whatever minuscule sounds her boots may have made as her footsteps fell softly onto the snow-covered earth. Her next step landed her in a slight ditch, partially camouflaged by the blanket of white, and she wobbled slightly, previous rhythm disrupted by the sudden drop in elevation. Not managing to regain her balance quickly enough, she landed awkwardly on her right hand with a low grunt. The biting cold of the snow seeped through to her palm in an instant, despite remaining completely dry, and her already injured left shoulder throbbed on impact.

Wisty yelped, then sighed. It wasn't as if the cold was extremely bothersome, as she was the daughter of Poseidon, and inherited the water's affinity to many different temperatures. The pain would pass away in a moment. She was more miffed by the fact that she hadn't regained her balance immediately, or that she allowed herself to step in the small hole in the first place.

She was distracted tonight.

She stood up, brushing nonexistent dust from her jeans and testing out her shoulder. It wasn't just the headstrong daughter of Zeus that was on her mind. Despite all their fights and their apparent rivalry, Thalia was a great comrade-in-arms. She wasn't particularly concerned by her (rightful) outburst, as it _had_ been at least partially her fault for running off alone in Westover Hall. No, that was completely normal for Thalia, especially where Luke was involved. What was actually bothering her, however…

_'Wisty...I have to agree with Thalia on this one,' Annabeth shook her head, her stormy eyes piercing through her accusingly. 'That was reckless.'_

Of course, Annabeth had good reason to agree with Thalia. It was just...just that Wisty didn't expect her to take the other girl's side so _readily._ It was almost as if she brushed aside Wisty's opinion without even considering it. She hadn't even given her a chance to speak.

This wasn't the first time, either. Ever since Thalia was magically reinstated from her state as a pine tree, there's been a subtle change in the dynamics of their close-knit group. Before, it was just the three of them - Luke, Annabeth, and her - in a constant cycle where they relied readily on each other without having an obvious leader. After Thalia's reappearance, it became as if Luke and Annabeth were suddenly revolving around the punky girl who could summon lightning. They asked for her opinions and agreed with them more often than not. Their plans in Capture the Flag were based around her. When they went on quests - big or small - Thalia was the de facto leader of the group.

And while that was understandable - the trio had been an inseparable group on the streets long before Wisty came along - it didn't sit well with Wisty. She hated being controlled, and would voice her own opinions, loud and clear, over Thalia's. Unfortunately, they turned her into the devil's advocate in her friends' eyes. As a result, Wisty began to feel isolated - and started isolating herself more. She didn't hang out with them as often. She would purposely form alliances in Capture the Flag with cabins she knew weren't on Thalia's - and thus often Annabeth and Luke's - side. She - damn herself to the deepest parts of the Underworld for thinking this - even wished sometimes that Thalia had never come back, or existed. Their friendship was falling apart, slowly but surely, and Wisty didn't know what to do.

To put it simply, Wisty was lost. She was confused. She needed a way to regain the bond she shared with Luke and Annabeth, fast. And if she couldn't…

From her pocket, she pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. The sentence **'A WISE CHOICE FOR YOUR FUTURE!'** was written with a big, bold font along the top of the page with pictures underneath of young maidens shooting bows, hunting, laughing along with each other, and generally having what seemed like a great time. At the very bottom of the brochure read **'A BOY FREE TOMORROW!'** and **'HEALTH BENEFITS - IMMORTALITY AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU!'**

This should be her last resort, the solution if there are no others, the way out if there was no other way. But after seeing the Hunters in action, how they worked with brilliant coordination with each other, how everyone seemed to be included in their tightly knit group...well, she was having second thoughts about the 'last resort' part.

It would be a permanent decision should she decide to accept Artemis's offer...she had met the maiden goddess once prior, on Olympus at the summer solstice, and although she had felt the goddess was attempting to cajole her into joining, she had been respectful and was not angry upon hearing her wishes for more time. Wisty had instinctively felt that she was being genuine, which was a first...the same could not be said for any of the gods she had encountered so far.

The goddess had a mysterious gravity, and Wisty couldn't seem to forget her. She couldn't explain the attraction. It was...simply there. And she in equal parts was curious about and dreaded the answer.

_'Think about my offer,' Artemis concluded, her silver eyes gleaming with the reflected lights of the bustling mountaintop city. 'Should you accept, it would be permanent. No going back. No quitting.'_

And by permanent...she meant _permanent._ Immortality. Never aging, never growing, never withering and dying. Only if she sustained a grievous wound would her spirit descend into the realm of her uncle, and judging from the fact that Artemis's lieutenant was more than two thousand years old, that seldom happened. It was tempting, for sure. To be able to permanently retain her youth, her lively spirit, her athleticism, and never get sick or grow old...few would pass up that offer. Swearing off boys was simple. Wisty figured she could happily pass up a few short years of happiness for a potentially centuries-long camaraderie with her sisters.

Plus, she's turning sixteen in a week. If she became a Hunter before that, however...escaping the Great Prophecy was guiltily tempting.

 _Is this for me?_ She wondered as she wandered aimlessly in the snow. _Is it worth it?_

It's a chance. A choice. A decision that would change her entire life. She might not be able to see Luke, or Annabeth, or Thalia, or her mom for a long time...perhaps forever. It was frightening, the people she would leave behind, the number of relationships she would shatter. And yet…

It's so _god damn tempting._ It's so unbelievably selfish, so _why is it so tempting?_

Her face contorting into a scowl, Wisty kicked the ground, unaware of the miniature blizzard forming around her. That is, until a clear, regal voice with a strange, somewhat old-fashioned accent called out.

'Wisteria Jackson? Lady Artemis wishes to speak with you…' Zoë Nightshade, the lieutenant of the Hunt and Thalia's mortal enemy. The girl certainly looked the part. Although she appeared to be no older than fourteen, her onyx eyes, upturned nose, and healthy, olive skin gave her the image of royalty, especially with the silver tiara wound into her hair confirming her rank. She was the one who commanded the Hunters to shoot while Luke was on the manticore. That didn't exactly leave a great first impression.

'Are thou alright?' The other girl asked. 'You have a hurricane around you.'

Wisty managed a tired smile, managing to not snap at one of her potential future bosses. She just noticed the cyclone swirling around her body. 'Yeah, I'm fine. Just...tired.'

Zoë nodded. 'It has been a long night. Come, we will provide thee with healing and some food. I see thy shoulder is wounded.'

'It's nothing,' Wisty dismissed. 'My friends?'

'They are being taken care of,' Zoë promised. 'Even Thalia Grace.'

Wisty snorted. 'Of course she has drama with you,' she muttered. Raising her voice, she asked: 'Artemis wants to see me?' She was answered by a simple nod. 'Then let's get going, hm?'

Zoë eyed her but said nothing. Wisty assumed that she knew of her source of antagonism towards her, but was too proud to apologize, especially since Luke was a boy. They trudged towards the campsite in silence.

They arrived at the largest tent out of the half a dozen on the cliffside. Wisty felt that pull again, as if an invisible force was reigning her in. Artemis was inside.

'My lady,' Zoë called. A few seconds passed with no answer, then a soft but firm voice replied:

'Come in.'

Wisty cautiously ducked through the tent after Zoë. The room was furnitured practically yet with taste. A bed occupied the center, and a table clearly hand-carved from oak wood along with a few chairs were placed next to a warm bonfire at the end of the room, which cast a warm, homely orange glow across the tent. A simple silver rug made up the floor, strewn with cushions and a few bean bags. It felt - not like what she expected, but not in a bad way. She expected wilderness, primitive conditions perhaps, but definitely not such domesticity from the huntress goddess.

The walls were more like what she thought they would be - decorated with a plethora of pelts, horns, and tusks of wild animals. She recognized snakeskin and deer antlers, but many were unfamiliar. They were clearly Artemis's most prized hunting spoils. Right above the fireplace, hung a huge, silver bow, engraved with Ancient Greek words and carvings of hunters and animals. Artemis's longbow.

Her eyes found the goddess, who was studying a map of America, except this one had red dots on them all over the parchment, most likely signifying the monsters' locations. Artemis looked effortlessly beautiful as always, seemingly around sixteen but carrying an ageless quality. She was clothed in simple silver long-sleeves and dark leggings, leaving her feet bare. Wisty was surprised to see silver polish on her nails. Her dark hair, usually tied into a ponytail, was allowed to cascade over her shoulders like a waterfall of ink.

Wisty had never seen Artemis's hair totally black - once auburn, another time silver - nor had she ever seen her look so relaxed, so much so that Wisty couldn't help but relax as well. _Breathtaking,_ her traitorous mind whispered. _Beautiful. Alluring._ Wisty shut the thoughts out.

Then Artemis raised her head, and Wisty's breath was _truly_ taken away.

Sure, she'd seen them before, but under the dim lighting, Artemis's silver eyes glowed like liquid moons, except even brighter. Wisty blinked, once, twice, three times, then looked away. She didn't want to get lost in them.

'Wisteria,' the goddess greeted. 'It is good to see you again. I hope you have thought about my offer.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me half an hour to find out how to properly format this. Hopefully nothing in the chapter broke. To those of you who are new, this story currently has sixteen chapters and an interlude, all of which I'll post on here via updates every few days. Chapter 17 is being written. If you want to drop a follow, here or on FFN, I'd welcome it. If you're new, hopefully you enjoyed the chapter! Look forward to more. Ciao!


	2. Restless Waves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me if there are any typos/grammatical errors that I haven't picked out!

**2**

The snow kept falling.

The miniature white flakes floated gently onto the ground. The cliffside was silent except for occasional hushed conversations and the crunching of boots on snow. The large campfire that the Hunters built melted the snow around it in a near-perfect circle, casting a homely, orange glow across the clearing. In the east, the beginning rays of dawn were beginning to peek over the horizon.

It was all so calming, so cathartic. Wisty found herself drifting around the campfire, but not close enough that the Hunters might be disturbed. A slight distance away near the edge of the cliff, Thalia and Annabeth talked in hushed tones. Grover was still playing Mythomagic with Nico, and from the animated look on his face and the occasional exclamations that burst from his lips, he was getting quite into it.

A particularly strong gust of wind blew over the area, and Wisty shivered slightly, for the first time feeling the biting cold. Even her natural resistance to harsh temperatures had a limit. She stepped a little closer to the roaring fire, unconsciously letting out a small sigh as the warmth of the flames washed over her skin. She glanced enviously at the Hunters sitting around the campfire, happily whispering and laughing away with their newest recruit. Bianca di Angelo. Nico's sister had joined the Hunt.

It was a very rushed decision, Wisty thought. Making such big choices when she'd only known about the mythological world for less than half a day...well, it was rash. To be fair, Wisty didn't exactly try her best to stop her. How was she meant to convince Bianca to not join the Hunt when she herself was having such thoughts? And while Artemis had offered Wisty the same (again), she had politely declined and wished for more time (again), which earned her a sigh from the goddess and a confused look from Zoë, as if the lieutenant couldn't understand why a girl would _not_ join the sisterhood. _Must be nice to be so resolute about your alliances,_ Wisty thought to herself. _I can't really relate._

She kicked a pebble out of frustration, sending it a good dozen meters away. The conversation with Artemis had gone about as well as she had anticipated but far from what she had hoped, with Wisty unable to hold the goddess's gaze for more than a few seconds before having to glance away. Why, _why_ did this one goddess have such an effect on her? She was just a goddess, a beautiful one at that, but then again all goddesses were beautiful, so that really wasn't the reason. She was regal, composed, humorous, even charming at times, so maybe that was it. Yep, that had to be it. She didn't want to think about other possibilities.

'Jackson.' Damn. Wisty hadn't even heard Thalia's footsteps. Probably not a good sign if she wanted to be a Hunter. She really didn't want to talk to the daughter of Zeus right now, especially after their previous clash just hours ago. She disliked how Thalia just threw it behind her shoulder and pretend nothing ever happened. No hesitation. No apology.

'Thalia,' she replied vaguely with a hint of irritableness, hoping that the punk girl would get the message and leave. Of course, she didn't.

'Bianca joined the Hunt,' Thalia noted. 'Why?'

 _Thank you, Captain Obvious._ 'Hades if I know,' Wisty replied unenthusiastically, mentally screaming at the daughter of Zeus. 'It was a hasty decision.'

Thalia nodded, as if satisfied with her answer. Wisty almost snorted out loud. Thalia was a good person at heart. That didn't change the fact that she could be obnoxious more than occasionally. 'What did Artemis talk about with you?'

'Oh...something about 'the Great Stirring' or something, and she wanted me to escort the Hunters to Camp Half-Blood.' Damn it, why was she asking all the hard questions? Why would it even matter to her? Wisty's mind was in turmoil as she tried to decide between the partial or the whole truth.

Ah, whatever. 'She also wanted me to join the Hunt.'

Thalia snorted loudly. 'Of course she would,' she scowled. 'Don't be tempted. The Hunt is full of egos.'

'You say that as if you've met them before,' Wisty raised an eyebrow. 'You act like their lieutenant is your eternal rival. Care to explain?'

Thalia's expression darkened. 'We met once when we - me, Luke, Annabeth - were still on the run. Long story short, she tried to recruit me. When I denied her offer, we fought. Pretty badly.' She eyed Wisty carefully. 'Don't tell me you're tempted.'

Wisty suddenly found it hard to look into Thalia's shocking blue eyes. She looked away guiltily.

'Are you serious?' Thalia cried, grabbing her shoulder with a considerable amount of force, making her wince.

' _Watch_ it, Thalia,' she snapped. 'That's my poisoned shoulder.

Thalia ignored her. ''Why?' she shook her. 'For immortality? For...for what? What else? I don't understand why you of all people, daughter of Poseidon, renowned hero of Camp Half-Blood, would want to give up all that. It's not worth it, Wisty.'

'I said, _watch it,'_ Wisty pushed her away with more force than she intended. 'I've been thinking about this for a long time. Who are you to tell me what's worth it and what's not?' _Are you really so insensitive that you don't realize why I want to join?_

'But...you've met them before,' Thalia realized. 'You never told us? Why?'

'Leave it,' Wisty warned. 'It doesn't matter. Not to you.'

'What's _that_ supposed to mean? Of course it matters to me.'

'You'd be surprised.' Wisty turned away. Her eyes stung, but for what reason, she didn't know. This wasn't even close to their worst fight.

'God damn it, Wisty. Why?' Thalia marched up and shook her, again. 'You have us. Me, Annabeth, and when we find him Luke, and everyone else at Camp, why would you want to give that up? Everyone at camp admires you, idolize you-'

' _Don't touch me,'_ Wisty cut her off. 'I don't _want_ to be idolized. Maybe you do, Thalia, but I've never wanted to be famous or a hero. I want a family. People who care. People who are...are like siblings. The Hunt can give me that, Thalia.' She took a deep breath. 'It's what I want. It's what I need.'

'But you have that here,' Thalia argued. 'You have that with us. Me, Luke, and Annabeth.' She patted Wisty's back grimly. 'Don't be swayed, Wisty. We've got your back.'

'Do you?'

'You mean...you don't trust us?' Thalia's face darkened. Her electric eyes grew dangerously bright, and sparks flew off her hands.

'Trust and friendship are very different things, Thalia,' Wisty raised a placating hand. 'Of course I trust you, and Annabeth, and Luke. But I find it difficult to become friends with someone I fight with every other day. I'm sure you would understand.'

'Well, maybe if you stopped opposing me every single time and actually stayed on our team in Capture the Flag we would actually have a chance to be friends!' Thalia snapped. The air around them started to smell suspiciously of ozone. 'If you stopped being such a rebel and just follow our plans-'

'Why do _I_ have to be the one who follows _you?'_ Wisty demanded, anger bubbling inside her like molten lava as her voice raised. 'We are meant to be a team, aren't we? Need I remind you that _I_ am older, _I_ have been on more quests, _I_ am the one who retrieved your father's Master Bolt and prevented World War III! _I_ am the one who saved _your_ tree by stabbing my own brother in the eye! You've obviously had more time with Annabeth and Luke, so I was prepared to listen, but you're obviously not prepared to listen to _me!'_ The previously light snow had worsened to a snowstorm, and Wisty could feel the winds picking up, clouds of water vapor at her command as her temper flared uncontrollably. Out of her peripheral vision, she spotted the Hunter's fire, which has died out to merely a few remaining embers. 'How many games of Capture the Flag have we lost because you commanded your team with a barely functional formation to charge head-on into the other team's defenses? How many times have we almost died because you weren't careful enough when dealing with monsters? I'm no planner, Annabeth is, but she follows you because you are her idol, but you are not _mine!_ I don't care how heroic you were, sacrificing yourself on top of the hill, it means absolutely _nothing_ when it comes to actually needing to think. We are practically at war, Thalia, and it is not about having power and being a leader of everyone but surviving and winning. If I can't work properly with you, then I'm going to join another side, and _you_ will be the last person to stop me.'

'Fine!' Thalia snarled at her. The skies darkened, and lightning flashed ominously in the distance, accompanied by booming thunder. 'If you don't want to be on my side, _leave!_ Go join the Hunters, join Zoë Nightshade, join Artemis. I don't want you to be here.'

'What is happening here?' Zoë Nightshade's voice snapped. Wisty saw the regal girl striding towards them, a scowl on her face. 'Quit this bickering at once! You are making a blizzard amidst a thunderstorm!'

Thalia turned to the lieutenant wildly, and pushed. 'Get _lost,_ Nightshade!' A spark of electricity flashed, and Zoë was blown off her feet into the air, landing heavily onto the ground a few yards away.

 _'Thalia Grace!'_ Wisty put herself in between a raging Thalia and the groaning Hunter, who was now being helped to her feet by her sisters. ' _What did you just do? Stop this stupidness right NOW!'_

'What happened here?' Artemis demanded. She rounded on Thalia, who had the decency to look ashamed. Bright, silver light flickered across her body. 'If you are the one who attacked my lieutenant, demigod, I don't care if you are my sister or my father's child-'

'Artemis.' Wisty grabbed the enraged goddess's arm, hoping against the odds that she will calm down enough to see reason. It seemed to work, as the goddess's aura dimmed slightly, and her breathing evened. 'Please. It was a small...misunderstanding.' She glared at Thalia. 'Get lost, and apologize to Zoë later. You've done enough damage here.'

Thalia looked unwilling, but one glance at a fuming Artemis told her this was not the time for further fighting. 'Fine,' she spat. 'Take their side. I don't care.' With a huff, she turned and marched off towards Annabeth, who stood alongside Grover and Nico, her eyes wide and her hands over her mouth.

Wisty turned towards Zoë, who had stood up with support from two other Hunters. 'Are you alright?'

Zoë nodded. 'Yes, I am quite fine. I thank…' she hesitated. 'I thank thee for defending me.'

Wisty laughed mirthlessly. 'Well, I can't say it was my pleasure.'

* * *

If - _if_ Wisty joined the Hunt, and that was a big _if,_ there would undoubtedly be many things she would miss about her current normal life at camp - well, as normal of a life as a demigod can have. The daily banter with her fellow campers, for example. The quiet solitude of the Poseidon cabin, where she could lie down and relax for hours on end. The familiar beach where she often stormed off to after an unpleasant fight with another half-blood. Maybe even the pranks of the Hermes cabin when they swapped her blue coke at dinner with blue lemon juice or filled her bed with termites (don't worry, they were easily washed away).

One thing she would definitely not miss was Thalia's driving.

One would think that when the previous demigod who tried to drive the sun chariot lost control of the horses and was blasted out of the vehicle by Zeus himself, people would have learned that anyone apart from the owner attempting to drive the godly vehicle was not a good idea. The current owner who inherited the chariot from the previous owner should have been _especially_ aware. Maybe it should've come with a _How to Use the Sun Chariot_ manual, and on the very first page it should've said 'SAFETY PRECAUTIONS: _DO NOT LET ANYONE ELSE DRIVE THE CHARIOT'._ Evidently, the manual didn't exist, Apollo hadn't read the manual beforehand, or he didn't care, because letting Thalia Grace drive the sun school bus could have been a nominee for _Olympus's Worst Decisions of the Century_ on Hephaestus TV.

Fortunately, she didn't lose control of any horses. Unfortunately, that was because there weren't any horses in the first place. After crash-landing in the canoe lake, Wisty thought it was quite a feat for Apollo to retain some forced semblance cheerfulness and congratulate the daughter of Zeus on her 'brilliant driving'. She herself was too busy muttering curses and dragging a gasping Grover out of the lake.

It did not make her mood better when Artemis simply appeared out of nowhere. Why couldn't Apollo have just done that for them? She scowled at the goddess from aside, but she noticed and shot her an infuriating smirk and a playful wink, making Wisty avert her gaze, fighting down a blush threatening to invade her cheeks. _Damn you,_ she thought. _Damn you, Artemis._

Later, after Apollo's departure, Wisty, Annabeth, Grover and Thalia _all_ agreed that Thalia should never become a pilot, albeit Wisty to herself, and silently. It was the first thing they had reached a unanimous agreement on in some while, even if Wisty wasn't involved in the consensus.

Currently, Wisty was overseeing a swordsmanship class in the arena, since she was the best swordswoman at Camp Half-Blood and had agreed to undertake a role as a training instructor for a small amount of pay (in drachmas and mortal currency) per lesson. Not that she had much to teach right now. During winter, many of the campers went back home to their families. The only people present in her class right now were Nico, who could barely lift a sword but otherwise grasped the essentials pretty well, and Clarisse, who was as intent as always on causing as much bodily harm to Wisty as possible. Not that Wisty minded. There might have been a little animosity between them, but that was ancient history. She wouldn't call them friends just yet, but they could stand each other's presence now without scowling, sneering, trading verbal/literal blows, or all of the aforementioned, which she supposed was an improvement.

She didn't mind the current lack of students in her class. She found focusing more on individuals much easier than trying to keep control of a whole few dozen rowdy demigods. Fights with Clarisse always required her full attention, and Nico's attempts to slash at the daughter of Ares with a sword obviously too long for him were endearingly funny.

Light snow was also allowed to fall from the sky through the camp's magical borders, blanketing the ground thinly, adding an extra element of climate into their mock fights, which made them all the more engaging. On the slippery surface, mobility was key, and Wisty tended to sacrifice a little power in favor of being lighter on her feet, which contrasted interestingly with Clarisse's powerful strokes. Wisty could appreciate the amount of precision amidst the raw power of Clarisse's slashes and stabs, but…

Not her style, she supposed. Partly due to her slim and athletic build, she preferred to be quicker and more agile, almost like a ballet dancer. Or a hunter, she thought. A _Hunter_.

'Nico, don't ever let your guard down - OW! Clarisse, I thought we were past the low blows, damn it - here, hold your sword up a little higher - hmm?' She frowned at Clarisse, who had just said something she didn't catch. 'What?'

'I _said,'_ Clarisse rolled her eyes, 'There's someone here to see you, flower,' she nodded at the entrance of the arena.

Wisty blinked. 'Oh, well, I'll just finish up with Nico here-'

'I don't think you want to keep this someone waiting,' Clarisse interrupted. Wisty glanced towards the arena gates…

'Oh.'

Artemis, leaning casually against a pillar, clad in a silver parka, jeans and snow boots. She would've passed as a normal camper had it not been for the gigantic longbow slung across her back and her striking, silver eyes which Wisty could recognize from anywhere, at any time.

'Um...Clarisse, take over my lesson, will you? Try not to kill Nico too badly, and uh...keep him working on his guard and try to find him a better sword, if you can,' Wisty called over her shoulder as she broke into a light jog towards the goddess. She gave Artemis a curtsy as she came to a halt before her - a slight bending of the knees and waist, not enough to be a full bow. Artemis raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. Instead, she said, 'You are a very skilled swordswoman, Wisteria.'

'Thanks,' Wisty replied. 'My lady,' she added hastily, remembering her etiquette.

Artemis chuckled. 'Why so formal, dear?' Wisty blinked. The term of endearment caught her off guard and she felt heat rising to her cheeks. Artemis smirked and held out an arm, her silver eyes shining teasingly.

'If you must be so formal, Wisteria, then I will talk in kind. I invite you to walk with me,' the goddess said. Did Wisty imagine the slight emphasis on 'invite'? 'In the woods, if you don't mind.'

A peculiar choice of words. Wisty hesitated, her eyes still trained on the outstretched hand. She supposed Artemis was sticking with the formal language, but still…

On one hand, refusing the goddess would be rude and probably not smart. On the other hand…

The implications behind the simple invitation were anything but simple. The way Artemis's eyes glinted amusedly, as if there was some inside joke, the odd choice of expression, the outstretched arm. It was an olive branch thrown towards her by the Hunt, by Artemis, and Wisty couldn't help but think that this was a much more important moment than what it was on the surface.

Plus, holding hands with Artemis was just...too awkward to think about, and certainly too awkward to do.

'It is fine if you do not wish to,' Artemis promised, though disappointment was evident in her voice. She had assumed her silence was a rejection, Wisty realized.

She bit her lip. 'You misunderstand, my lady. Who would be such a fool to reject such an _invitation_ from a goddess?'

She allowed herself some satisfaction as she noticed Artemis's eyes widen in surprise.

* * *

'Not a full bow, Wisteria?' Artemis cocked her head to the side, her eyes trained on Wisty. 'Interesting.'

'Respect is earned, not given, Lady Artemis,' Wisty replied, eyes trained straight ahead. She wasn't sure if she could maintain eye contact with Artemis without feeling self-conscious. 'The curtsy is for your rank.'

Out of the corner of her eye, Wisty saw a ghost of a smile touch the goddesses's lips. 'What about the bow?'

'Nobody's managed to get it out of me yet, my lady. Where are we going, by the way?'

'It is close,' the goddess promised. Wisty scowled at the vague answer. 'Not even your father?'

'No.' He didn't deserve it yet, after so many years of neglecting Wisty and her mother. 'Maybe someday.'

'I see,' Artemis nodded. 'Then I shall make it a mission to be your first.'

Wisty blinked. Odd choice of words once again. Wait, did the goddess just make-

'You are going to have to make your decision soon, my dear,' Artemis interrupted her thoughts. Wisty put the apparent innuendo aside for now. 'Your birthday is in...a week? A little more?'

Wisty blinked. 'Yeah. How did you know that?'

'A goddess has her ways,' Artemis smiled mysteriously. 'Of course, being the sister of the god of the sun and prophecies is certainly an advantage. The _twin_ sister, mind you. Don't listen to what Apollo says. I was born _before_ him.' She snorted. 'That big ball of gas. But I digress. I've been paying attention to you, dear.'

'Wow...really?' Wisty wasn't sure whether to feel flattered or creeped out. 'Since when was I that interesting?'

Artemis smirked. 'You're the first child of Poseidon in nearly a century, Wisteria, and the first daughter of him in... let's see, when was the last...ah, right, Anahita from the early fourteen-hundreds...so well over half a millennia. The godly world has been keeping close tabs on you ever since you first entered our world. I was obviously among the, ah, _observers_. Even when you were framed for the theft of the lightning bolt...I saw you had potential as a young maiden who was skilled, courageous and extremely loyal to the ones you love.' Unconsciously or consciously, the goddess squeezed her hand. 'Everyone could see that you had the fire in you, Wisteria, to be a great hero - or a Hunter, if you wish.' She paused. 'Did you know I was among the few who defended your name upon Olympus while you were journeying to the Underworld?'

'I...didn't know that,' Wisty admitted. 'I suppose I should be grateful.' She thought back to the various stupid things she did that probably angered the gods. 'I didn't exactly make it easy, did I?'

'You certainly didn't,' Artemis chuckled. 'Especially with the stunt you pulled with Medusa's head. Half of us had a good laugh at it while the others, namely Zeus and Athena, were furious. If not for the presence of your father, Hera and Hestia, I suspect Father would've smited you on the spot, Ancient Laws or no.'

'Oh. Ouch.'

'Would've been a very big 'ouch',' Artemis agreed. 'Father may not have had his Master Bolt at the time, but an extra large-sized lightning bolt would still have done the job nicely. It would have completely disintegrated your whole being instantly along with everything within a ten-meter radius. Olympus had not seen Father that angry since World War II. You certainly have a knack for making gods angry.'

'I've been told that many times,' Wisty muttered. 'But you said Hera and Hestia were defending me? Hestia I can understand, but Hera? Isn't she kind of a bi...er, easily angered person?'

'Well, yes, Stepmother dearest has never been the nicest goddess on Olympus.' Artemis scowled. 'I speak from personal experiences. One time she turned my Ceryneian Hind into a - ah, never mind, I'm getting off-topic. It wasn't just Hera and Hestia, Demeter was on your side as well, but her attempts at getting Father to calm down and eat some cereal can only be described as...well, an optimistic effort, at best. All of the first generation gods present were pleading your case, except for Zeus, of course. Apparently, you bear a striking resemblance to Step-grandmother.'

'Grandmother…' Wisty racked her brain to name the mentioned deity. 'Your grandmother would be Zeus's mother...Rhea?' She choked. 'You think I look like Rhea?'

'I have never met Grandmother,' Artemis admitted. 'Apparently she faded before I was born. But for all of their arguments and dissension, the eldest gods all share a fierce love for their mother. Hera and Demeter are convinced that you are her reincarnation, even though no proof of such a theory exists. Mortals who achieved Elysium are able to be reincarnated, but as for gods...well, the death, or rather fading, of a god is rare as it is. Reincarnation seems very unlikely, to say the least.'

'Well, there's always a first for everything,' Wisty offered. 'Though I'm not sure I _want_ to be the reincarnation of my dad's mom.'

Artemis laughed. 'Yes, I suppose that would be strange, even to us gods and our dysfunctional family. Look, we are here.' They entered a small, circular clearing. The lush, green grass was soft under Wisty's feet as she stepped softly around, her gaze roaming her surroundings. The clearing was extremely well concealed, surrounded by the forest completely. A boulder dominated the center of the circle. Overhead, the thinning canopy provided just enough cover from the sunlight without making it too dark, allowing a few filtered rays of the afternoon golden sunlight to shine down upon them. Somewhere close to them, the creek trickled and gurgled through the woods.

It was quite a peaceful, serene little space. Wisty wondered how Artemis had found it.

'Phoebe, our best tracker and scout, found this during a Capture the Flag game in the early nineteen-hundreds.' It was as if the goddess was reading her mind. 'Aside from its aesthetic purposes, it also gave us quite a strategic advantage. Come, take a look.' She motioned for Wisty to come across the clearing to her. 'You can spy the creek, just through here.' Wisty peeked through the greenery. Sure enough, the entire creek, which marked the border between the two teams' territories for Capture the Flag, was completely visible. Being a firsthand witness of the accuracy the Hunters had displayed in Maine, Wisty had no doubt that one of their arrows could easily find their mark on an enemy from here.

'Nice of you to show me this,' she remarked. 'Considering that I'm about to go against your team in Capture the Flag.'

'Mmm.' Artemis stood up straight from her leaning position.

'What do you want, my lady? Stop beating around the bush.' Wisty was used to the antics of the Greek immortals. They always wanted something, and there was no reason for Artemis to be any different. Still, she hoped…

Artemis bit her lip. 'I mean no harm and ask for no favors, Wisteria. Please do not misunderstand me. I was simply going to suggest that…' She hesitated. '...perhaps you would like to join us for Capture the Flag?'

'Join you..as in join your team?' Huh. Well, that wasn't quite what she had expected, and it had the gears in her head turning immediately. A chance to knock down Thalia a bit. An opportunity to experience the Hunt, however short the experience would be. 'Why?'

'The Hunters have thirteen, including me,' Artemis said. 'The campers have fifteen. I will not be participating in the game. An alliance with you would make the game fair.'

 _The Hunters definitely did not need her help that desperately,_ Wisty thought, amused. She could tell Artemis wanted her on their team to further familiarize her with the Hunt and sway her decision towards their side. She also thought that maybe, just maybe, Artemis wanted some revenge on Thalia, and having another child of the Big Three definitely helped their chances. Out loud, she asked: 'Why me?'

'Your camp has two children of the Big Three,' Artemis said. 'Considering Thalia's very _unfortunate_ rivalry with Zoë…' She put a hand on her shoulder. 'You are the best option.'

'Ok, fair enough. Not that I'm agreeing yet,' Wisty added. They were playing an intricate game here, and if Wisty played her cards right, she could get something out of it as well.

Artemis smirked. 'I would expect nothing less from you, my dear. Tell me, how must I convince you to join us?'

She had some leverage here, Wisty recognized. Not much, but it was something. Her request shouldn't be hard to agree to. After all, it was merely something to blow off some steam. Something to settle a dispute, once and...perhaps not for all. Something she needed to do, and the glint in Artemis's eyes told her that she knew exactly what Wisty wanted, and that she wanted it too. An opportunity for some poetic justice was too good to pass on, she supposed.

'Leave Thalia for me,' she said. 'Nothing else, but she is _mine,_ this fight is for me and me only _,_ and no one else may interfere.'

Artemis smiled, a predatory grin which reminded Wisty of a shark right before it descended upon its prey. 'Done. Get some revenge for my lieutenant, will you?'


	3. Flames of Conflict

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who don't know, Sea Girl's been under production for the better part of two years. Some of the first few chapters are a little disconnected from the rest of the story and will be fixed once Arc I is finito and I get to trimming/editing/rewriting.

**3**

Wisty sat silently on the branch of a tree towering over the clearing where their flag stood. She had her eyes closed serenely; she didn't need her sight to sense Thalia's imminent arrival. The daughter of Zeus...saying that she was somewhat lacking in subtlety would be a gross understatement. Besides, even if her hearing failed her, Thalia would still likely announce her arrival by taunting her. The blue-eyed girl had been absolutely furious when Wisty announced her alliance with the Hunters. That, and her impulsive and overconfident frame of mind, ensured that she would not be satisfied to leave without a fight.

Neither would Wisty, but she could cope with not having to be put into action. She never chose to fight save for an absolutely necessary confrontation, and this would be no different. If by any chance Thalia was incapacitated for whatever reason, the world wouldn't end for her. If (when) Thalia came, it would be necessary for her to do her duty as the defender of the flag, and thus she would fight. The only difference this time as compared to any other time was that she was looking forward to their duel.

Her intention was not just to knock Thalia down a peg or two. Of course, it was _one_ of her intentions, but she would need to win, and as much as she disliked the notion, Thalia was still strong enough to overpower her if she wasn't sufficiently cautious. She was a daughter of Zeus, after all, and the power of the skies was nothing to be underestimated and trifled with. Still, she was relatively confident that she could capture a straightforward victory. She was almost two years older, after all, and her control over her element far exceeded that of Thalia's. Still, she needed to be cautious to not let her land cheap blows.

Her main reason for looking forward to this confrontation was...well, frankly, she would enjoy an all-out fight right now. She might even go so far as to say that she _needed_ it, and that Thalia needed it too. The past couple of days have been nothing but anger and melancholy and negativity and she needed that out of her system, especially with the doomsday decision looming over her head, and what better way to relax than have a fight to purge her emotions, especially a fight with the cause of nearly all of her blue and anxiety and gall? While she didn't consider Thalia as a friend right now, she was certainly powerful and would be a great ally, or at the very least it would be nice to not be straight-up enemies. A fight between them could potentially take care of many birds with one stone - spend some of the tense energy inside her while getting their enmity towards each other out of their systems.

The Hunters has been none too pleased with their alliance, even though she was a girl and a potential recruit. During their brief meeting to discuss strategies for the game, there were a few dubious glances thrown towards her and a few mutterings of 'Why is she here?' among the girls. Nevertheless, they were at least cordial, if not welcoming, and the full moon hanging over their heads seemed to have put them in a good mood. Zoë had even graced her with a (judging by the reactions of the Hunters around her) rare smile.

It was slightly disconcerting to be the oldest by physical appearance in the group. Most of the Hunters seemed to be around their early teens, give or take a little. Still, once she got used to the fact that she was the second tallest out of everyone (even Artemis) except for Zoë, she quickly managed to integrate herself into their discussions. Many of the girls spoke with maturity and wisdom far beyond their appearance would suggest. Wisty assumed that those Hunters were the veterans of the Hunt.

They were skeptical to leave flag defense up to her and only her, especially since it put their enormous win streak at risk, but at Artemis's insistence, any voices of dissension were quickly quelled. The Hunters planned much more carefully and in more detail than anyone else Wisty had encountered - even Annabeth. They thought of everything, from general strategies such as the dynamic formations of the attacking squadrons to tiny details including inconspicuous little shrubs which tripwires can hook onto. It came as no surprise to Wisty, after witnessing their discussions firsthand, that they have a run of nearly sixty wins straight against the campers.

She took a deep breath. The game had started a few moments ago. If all went to plan, Thalia's little squadron which she undoubtedly took with her would have been intercepted by small Hunter ambushes, 'coincidentally' letting only her through. It would take little time with a brisk jog to reach their flag. By her calculations, the daughter of Zeus should be arriving soon.

'I am seriously reconsidering my decision to ask you to join my Hunters, Wisteria.' An amused voice from behind her made her flinch and nearly fall off the branch. 'You look decidedly somnolent.'

'I don't know what that word means,' Wisty rolled her eyes, although the goddess couldn't see her face. She wasn't exactly the daughter of Zeus she was looking for. 'If you must know, Thalia makes a huge ruckus wherever she goes. I don't need my eyes to know when she comes.' She gestured towards the space in the branch next to her. 'What are you here for, my lady? You said you were not going to participate in the game.'

'It means sleepy, dear, but that would have sounded much too mundane.' Artemis nimbly swung onto the space next to her, the branch wobbling slightly underneath the sudden increase in burden. 'I wished to check on my sentry. Evidently, she hasn't been very alert.' Wisty shot the goddess a dry, exasperated look. Artemis chuckled in amusement. 'I also wanted to say goodbye.'

'Goodbye?' Wisty turned her head to face the goddess. 'Why? Where are you going?'

Artemis's expression darkened. 'I have just received information - The Titans are hatching a new scheme. A very powerful monster has reformed, and if it falls into Kronos's hands, all will be lost. I must find it before their forces to prevent such a catastrophic event from occurring.'

'You manage to make everything sound so much more dramatic than it really is,' Wisty muttered. 'What monster is it? Can I—' she bit her lip. 'Can we help?'

Artemis gave her a grim smile. 'I'm afraid not, Wisteria. This monster is unlike anything any demigod has ever faced. If you should encounter it, you will not know what to do.' She held out her hand, and her massive longbow shimmered into existence. She gripped it tightly, her knuckles turning white. 'I will be placing myself in quite some danger. If anything should happen to me…' she stared straight into Wisty's eyes. 'If I am incapacitated at the Winter Solstice, I will be incapable of initiating you into the Hunt should you desire to join. I'm afraid…'

'You need my decision now,' Wisty realized. 'But you said…'

'I'm sorry, Wisteria,' Artemis shook her head, looking the mildest bit apologetic. 'I only just received my information. This is the best I can do.'

Wisty felt faint. She's never been good with deadlines, and now a huge one was looming right in front of her, much sooner than she anticipated. 'Is there - is there a compromise?' she asked desperately. 'Anything at all? I don't - I can't-'

'Make a decision now?' Artemis finished for her. 'Unfortunately, it's either do or else. I wish we had more time, Wisteria, I really do, but with the gravity of your decision…' she pursed her lips. 'I dislike setting special precedences even if the situation is dire, but perhaps…I can offer you an opt-out after the solstice should you accept now. You'll have my blessing until the solstice, when you can make your final decision.'

Wisty supposed it was a tolerable arrangement, but she still felt slightly overwhelmed and a little suspicious of Artemis's intentions. She seemed to be trying to make the situation sound much more extreme than it might be, denying her plead for a happy medium and then offering her exactly what she denied. Although her argument had a definite ring of truth to it, she was a bit too theatrical in carrying it out. She was the daughter of Zeus, though, and theatrics seemed to be an intrinsic trait in all of the ones she had met so far…

If Wisty had to guess, she would say that the goddess was trying to rope her into getting a taste of the job to sway her position on the fence towards the Hunters. It would definitely be harder for her to leave if she already accepted. For one, she suspected she would enjoy the perks of being a Hunter, with the added physical prowess and whatnot. The fact that she knew she would be too bashful to exit after joining was also an obstacle…

She didn't want to give the goddess the satisfaction of realizing her plan, but she had little choice if the situation was even half as dire. Artemis had her, even if she didn't like it.

 _Damn you, Artemis._ 'Fine.' She made sure to add a little edge to her tone, to let the goddess know exactly what she thought of this new development. _Two can play that game, Artemis._ 'Do I just say the oath?'

Artemis nodded. 'I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis—'

'I know the oath.' _By heart, I've recited it in my head too many times._ 'I, Wisteria Jackson, pledge myself to the goddess Artemis.'

Artemis was staring at her with an intensely expectant expression. It was...unsettling, yet thrilling and flattering, in a strange combination, to be under such impassioned scrutiny from _this_ goddess in particular. Wisty took a deep breath.

'I turn my back on the company of men…'

She swallowed. She felt light-headed, excited yet dreading the moment. A gentle hand steadied her as she swayed dangerously on the branch. 'Accept eternal maidenhood…'

'And join-' she stumbled over her words. The world was spinning around her, and the only thing she could think of was the impact her next words would cause on the fate of the world. 'And join the Hunt.'

'I accept,' Artemis said immediately.

For a moment, all was still except for the fluttering of leaves in the soft breeze.

Then the oath took effect, and... _oh, what a feeling it was._

Perhaps it was because the oath took place on a night of a full moon, but for a moment, it felt as if the light of the stars and the moon increased by a hundredfold. Her senses sharpened, and it was as if a new spectrum of the perceivable world was opened to her, as if she had been half asleep her whole life and only now was fully awoken by some mystical power. Everything was so much sharper and more in focus, the smell of the earth of the forest fresher, the sounds of the swaying canopy separating until she could match each sound to a single leaf, and a cricket on the opposite side of the clearing suddenly came into sharp focus. Whereas she didn't even notice it before, now she was unable to miss it. A violent gale swept through the forest, but Wisty remained as unaffected by the turbulent swaying of the branch as the goddess beside her. It brought with its arrival...there was no other way to describe it other than a feeling of pure and unadulterated _wildness._ The stifling dampness of a rainforest, the scorching heat of the desert, and the icy coldness of snowy mountain ranges; the howl of wolves in the forest at night, the squawk of hawks in the vast blue sky and the thundering of a herd of stampeding elephants amidst a golden savannah; the fresh scent of leaves after a rainstorm, the alluring aroma of wildflowers blooming proudly on an unexplored mountainside and the sharp tang of blood as a lioness ripped into its prey, they were all somehow, incredibly, inexplicably woven into the single gust of wind, each one lasting only for a brief, enchanting moment, making her feel as if she was flying with the spirits of the air. For a split second, Wisty caught the fresh scent of a sea breeze, the familiar and invigorating savor filling her body with an unfamiliar power which lifted her higher, higher, higher…

The feeling - or _feelings,_ rather - faded as suddenly as they had come. She gasped as she plummeted back down to earth. Her senses returned to normal. She could no longer discern the sounds of each leaf, the smell of the earth receded until it was barely noticeable and she lost sight of the cricket. A wave of dizziness struck her, and she swayed dangerously on the branch, sight dark and head spinning. As she felt herself lose balance completely, a warm, solid arm caught her around the back.

'Now, I would prefer if my newest Hunter did not immediately die from falling.' Her nausea abated and her sight rediscovered, Wisty found herself lying in the embrace of a girl, her silver eyes glittering with laughter as she smiled amusedly down at her.

'Artemis?' she mumbled. 'What just…'

'Congratulations,' the goddess chuckled as she brushed a stray strand of hair obstructing Wisty's vision. 'You are now a Hunter of Artemis.'

'Is that what Bianca felt?' Wisty struggled to sit up, but her body felt so...loose. Not weak, necessarily, just unable to muster up any tension in her muscles, and Artemis's arms felt warm and comfortable. 'It was…'

'All my girls felt what you felt, on some scale.' Artemis gently pushed her back down. 'Relax, dear. It'll pass soon. Rarely is anyone struck with such a strong effect when they invoke my blessing. It...is complicated to explain, but essentially, your affinity with the wild is strong. You will make a fine huntress.'

'That's...nice to know.' Already, she could feel strength returning to her limbs. 'Will I be stronger? Faster? More confident?'

'The results vary for each girl,' Artemis stroked her head, an intimate gesture which sent electrifying tingles down her spine, making her shiver. 'The blessing has a mind of its own. It finds your weaknesses and strengthens them. You've already seen Bianca being more confident and outgoing. With you, I suspect while your physical prowess may increase slightly, your personality will undergo little change. There are no obvious flaws within your character which I have noticed. Are you fine to sit?'

'Yeah...yes.' Wisty enjoyed Artemis's embrace, but she didn't want to overstay her welcome within it. 'I feel alright.'

'Good,' Artemis smiled. The goddess stood up casually on the thin, swaying branch without a moment of hesitation. She gazed up at the stars, partially obscured by the trees. 'I must leave now, before the trail goes cold.'

Wisty sighed. Waiting it was. 'Good hunting, my lady.'

'Thank you,' Artemis nodded. A mischievous smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. 'I wouldn't worry too much about waiting, as an afterthought. Thalia will be here soon.'

'And how do you know that?' Wisty stiffened, her hand automatically creeping towards her pocket where her trusty sword lay dormant in pen form.

'Because she's been watching,' Artemis laughed. 'Farewell and until next time, Wisteria. Enjoy being a Hunter.'

She blinked. The goddess was gone, not a single trace of her presence remaining. _She's been watching? How-_

'You probably would've noticed me if you weren't too busy cuddling with the maiden goddess of virginity, Jackson.' A voice from underneath her called out scathingly. 'I was going to make a last try to pull you away from that cliff edge, but it looks like you've made your decision already.'

Wisty glared down. There was Thalia, leaning against her tree, electric spear leaning casually against the trunk, not even looking at her. 'I was not _cuddling_ with her, Thalia. And it's a temporary solution, because-'

'Cool, I don't care.' Thalia whirled around and grabbed her spear in one swift move. She pointed it upwards. 'You betrayed us, Wisty. For that, you're going to pay.'

Wisty felt like she'd been punched in the gut. In all her life, she had never been called a traitor. She felt her rage simmering within her, bubbling just underneath the surface of her skin, ready to erupt at any more provocation. She took a deep breath.

'Is that what you see me as now, _Grace?_ A traitor?'

 _'Don't_ use my last name.'

'It doesn't make sense.' Wisty swung down from her branch, landing a few feet away from the daughter of Zeus. 'I thought you didn't want me here anyway. Am I betraying anything if I'm not even part of your group?'

Thalia's face darkened even further, if possible, like a storm cloud right before a thunderstorm. 'You were part of our group. Until today.'

The winds picked up, whipping Wisty's hair violently in front of her face. Overhead, dark gray clouds gathered, signaling an impending storm. The pungent smell of ozone permeated the atmosphere. 'I was never part of _your_ group,' she hissed. 'Ever since I rescued you _,_ I've been ostracized from your little trio. You know _nothing_ about how I felt. You don't get to exclude me from everything and expect to control my life like I'm your puppet when I make my own decisions without you.'

'Ooh, big words from a little girl,' Thalia sneered. 'Running away from your problems whenever something doesn't go your way. I heard you ran away from your stepdad whenever he bullied you. Kind of pathetic, don't you think?'

'For a daughter of the sky god, you sure love taking the low routes,' Wisty narrowed her eyes. 'Not surprising though, since your mother was always so drunk she couldn't stand up. Calling me out for running away from my problems…' She flicked the cap of Riptide off and pointed it at a fuming Thalia as it expanded into a gleaming bronze sword. 'Ironic, considering you ran away from your own mother.'

'Shut _up!'_ Thalia screamed at her. Wisty could almost audibly hear the girl's tenuous hold on her emotions snap. Sparks jumped off her fingers like firecrackers. 'You know _nothing_ about my life! _NOTHING!'_

 _'And_ _you don't know anything about mine!'_ Wisty stomped the ground, making the earth rumble and shake as she lifted off towards Thalia in a somersault well farther than most humans can manage. She landed inches away from Thalia, who barely avoided a wild, unsophisticated slash by rolling back hastily. 'You prideful, arrogant, self-important _child.'_ She slipped past Thalia's stab and gave her a sturdy elbow in the back before pivoting away out of range. 'Hubristic, condescending, overbearing daughter of a no-good womanizer.' Lightning crackled ominously overhead, but Wisty brushed it off as Thalia charged at her, eyes crackling with electrifying fury. A stomp from her foot halted the girl's momentum, and she took this chance to slide across the leaf-covered ground and deliver an airy slash to her right calf. She winced as an electric current shocked her arm, making it tingle and her hands lose its grip on the sword.

* * *

Olympus was shrouded in storm clouds and darkness.

'I will _not_ have this any further, Poseidon!' Zeus slammed his lightning bolt down on the throne room floor. 'Your bastard just crossed a line!'

'Touch a hair on my daughter, and I will withdraw my support of Olympus and its allies,' Poseidon warned icily from his throne. 'It's nothing you haven't heard before from Hera, Zeus.'

Zeus whirled around, his beard crackling with rage. 'Is that a threat, sea god?'

'No,' Poseidon stood up, his trident materializing in his hand. The throne room rumbled from the combined powers of two of the Big Three. 'It's a vow.'

* * *

Wisty ducked under a swipe from Thalia and barely avoided a follow-up punch. Her sword arm, still limp and unresponsive, was starting to regain some feeling, but without a weapon, she was playing desperate defense against Thalia's onslaught.

'Is that the best you can do?' Thalia shouted at her as Wisty jumped over another wild stab. 'Older, stronger, wiser Wisteria Jackson?' She snorted as a glancing blow caught Wisty in the chin, snapping her head back sharply. Wisty felt something crack in her jaw. 'You're just a girl pretending to be a hero, Jackson. Give up. Your arm's dead. The fight is over.'

She could move her fingers again. Gritting her teeth, she pushed off with a leg and kicked the spear out of Thalia's hands. Her jaw throbbed agonizingly as she stumbled upon landing.

* * *

The humidity in the air was a testament to Poseidon's undeniable rage - and fear - as he stomped his foot, shaking the whole throne room treacherously. 'This is getting out of hand, brother. Your daughter is trying to _kill!_ Call this off now, Zeus, for I promise if Thalia Grace kills my child I will hunt her to the ends of the earth!'

'The same goes for you, _brother!'_ Zeus snarled. 'Wisteria Jackson will suffer my eternal wrath for harming my daughter!'

* * *

The storm was well and truly on now, gale-force winds rattling the trees as leaves flew in every which way. Huge droplets of rain splattered onto both of them, rejuvenating Wisty but undoubtedly annoying Thalia. A horn blew in the distance somewhere, barely audible over the windstorm, indicating the end of the game, but Wisty and Thalia were still locked in a stalemate neither could break substantially as the momentum shifted with every swipe, dodge, and parry.

' _Come on,'_ Wisty growled as she rolled aside and swiped her sword up from the ground, full function returning to her limb. She willed the mist in the air to condense around Thalia, blocking the other girl's vision as she charged, Anaklusmos glaringly bright as lightning flashed ominously. 'I _will not lose.'_

Just before she got to Thalia, a huge bolt of lightning crashed down right beside her, striking a nearby tree and sending Wisty flying through the air with an audible _zap_. She landed harshly on her side, and her ribs, undeniably bruised and potentially broken, groaned as she struggled up. Her limbs felt weary and weak, so she allowed rainwater to soak through her garments and breathed a sigh of relief as the pain immediately diminished to a dull throb. The fight was closer than she expected. While she had the upper hand for the majority of the duel, Thalia notably raised her level during the last few minutes.

She was just about to worsen the hurricane when she heard a shrill scream of pain.

The tree which the lightning bolt had struck was on fire, and its dryad was sobbing tearfully as she tried to futilely beat out the roaring flames, which was growing more intense by the second and already had warning signs indicating its likely spread to the surrounding forest. Despite the pouring rain, the fire refused to abate due to the canopy shielding the water from descending, and if Wisty didn't do something about it soon the entirety of the woods would suffer.

'Thalia!' She called out, but the girl was either too far away in the storm to hear or too frenzied to care. _Looks like this one's all on me. Again._

She concentrated, and the winds started to calm. The sheets of rain thickened, and Wisty willed them to concentrate on the afflicted dryad's tree. A stream of water, thousands upon thousands of raindrops coalesced together, began to pour over the flames licking at the leaves. The intensity of it seemed to reduce, and for a second, Wisty thought all would be well.

Then a hard kick right into her already damaged ribs sent her sprawling into the undergrowth, sending a fresh wave of agony through her body and effectively breaking her concentration. The rain lightened once again and the steady supply of water was broken as the blaze roared up again with vengeance. She lay on the ground, vision blurry with exhaustion and body screaming in sourness. Through the haze of pain, she heard Thalia laugh, somewhere to her left.

'Amateur mistake, Jackson,' she mocked. 'Caught off guard during a fight.'

Wisty scowled tiredly. This girl would not get off her case. With a burst of adrenaline, she got up and delivered a series of slashes and stabs which pushed Thalia all the way back to the opposite end of the clearing. Breathing hard, she winced as her ribs twinged, but managed to produce a mini hurricane around her for protection as she tried to resume the stream of water again. The fire had spread to another tree, and the situation can get well out of hand if she didn't act.

A bolt of lightning narrowly missed her and set up another blaze in a shrub. Stumbling, Wisty threw a ball of water at it, barely putting it out, the leaves blackened and sizzling. She staggered towards the original tree on fire. The fire was spreading too rapidly for her solution to have an impact, but maybe if she climbed up the tree, the water vapor around here might be enough…

She found a handhold and started climbing. Behind her, Thalia's footsteps were not far off. 'Running away, Sea Girl?' she taunted. _Can she seriously not see what is happening?_

'Not so fast!' A current of electricity traveled up the tree, numbing her arms and nearly making her lose her grip. Somehow, feeling returned to her limbs as quickly as she had lost it despite the tingling still being a constant aggravation, and Wisty gritted her teeth, held as firmly as she could and continued on.

She was halfway up the tree. The flames had spread in a semicircle to nearby trees. All around the forest, dryads were panicking as they fruitlessly attempted to halt the fast escalation of the situation. A lightning bolt hit her directly in the back, making her scream and arch her spine. She could feel a fire starting on her now completely dry clothes from Thalia's shocks.

Her vision was dark around the edges and her ears rang, clouding her mind with white noise, but for some reason, she retained all functionality in her limbs.

So she persisted. Her body ached and she was sure her back was getting roasted raw, but she persisted.

She reached the source of the fire, which had spread in at least a ten-meter radius in all directions with more trees in its way. Her hurricane, weak and unsteady as it was, put out the fire on that specific tree. _One down, around fifty more to go…_

Hanging on to a branch, she shouted in pain as more of her ribs gave in the process of swinging to the next tree. Crying out, she pulled herself up and allowed her hurricane, spluttering and slowing, to put out the next flame. _Two…_

Thalia's spear, crackling with energy, whistled into her shoulder, rendering her whole left side useless. She doggedly pulled it out, unfeeling about the spurt of blood which came with it, dropped it and stood up on the branch. _Father, grant me strength, please, I'm desperate…_

Maybe it was her imagination, but her hurricane swirled slightly faster. A few fires nearby spontaneously disappeared, and the rain seemed to redouble its efforts to penetrate the leaf roof of the woods.

But it wasn't enough. The fire was now well out of control as the storm lessened in vigor with her diminishing powers, and try as she might, she couldn't make a meaningful contribution to the efforts trying to stop it.

'By the gods...' Is that Chiron? Wisty couldn't discern the voice over her damaged hearing, but it sounded vaguely masculine. 'What is going on-'

'That's Wisteria.' Undoubtedly Zoë. No one else referred to her by her full name except for angry people. Well, she might very well be angry, but it definitely was Zoë. 'She needs help!'

'No...I'm fine,' Wisty mumbled. She threw a sphere of water at the next tree and thought she hit her target, but her sight was failing her. She lobbed a few more, but with each one she threw, she grew a little wearier. 'Help...the dryads.'

A lightning bolt whistled by, crashing into the tree she just put out and relighting it. _'Thalia!'_ Annabeth, or maybe Katie Gardner? _'What are you doing? Are you trying to KILL her?'_

Her hurricane dissipated completely. She tried to conjure up more water, but all she could manage was a single drop. Collapsing onto her knees, she could barely see the Stolls shaking Thalia out from her drunken rampage. The storm was dying, the shower slowing down as a full-scale forest fire raged around her.

'She's being burnt alive!' someone hollered. 'We need the naiads!'

' _I'm sorry. I failed,'_ she whispered. _'Forgive me.'_

' _No. You did well, my daughter.'_

'Dad?' she slurred sleepily. 'That you?'

Her world plunged into darkness completely, and she lost her balance as her limbs gave out. She started to fall, but she never hit the ground, plummeting forever, and ever, and ever into a dark abyss...

* * *

Poseidon watched as the dryad whose tree his daughter had saved caught the girl before she impacted the ground. His heart twisted painfully as he observed her appearance. Her shirt, soaked through immediately once she lost consciousness, was charred and torn in multiple places, and her face twitched and contracted from aftershocks from the electricity. Her back was blackened by the lightning bolt and the consequent burns but was hopefully repairable with a long stay in saltwater. Her shoulder was bleeding profusely, probably due to the Zeus spawn's spear rupturing a major artery or vein, but Artemis's blessing was stopping her from a premature visit to his brother down under. She needed treatment immediately, and his grip on his trident didn't loosen until a combined effort from Chiron, the Apollo cabin and the Hunters stabilized her condition.

Beside him, Zeus breathed out an almost inaudible sigh of relief which he caught. 'Well,' the thunder god said. 'That was...something else.'

Poseidon was not amused in the slightest. 'Keep your daughter in line, Zeus,' he warned coldly. 'She almost demolished the whole forest along with my daughter, who was trying to _help_ put out the fire. If this happens one more time, I will severe my allegiance to Olympus and withdraw from the war on the surface, because obviously, your daughter thinks she's powerful enough to stop the Titans on her own. You have been warned.'

He disappeared without so much as a splash.


	4. Fate's Decreed

**4**

The humidity was suffocating.

She stood inside a red cavern. Under her feet, the ground was littered with sharp, black rocks and broken pieces of what looked like volcanic glass, reflecting the eerie, orange glow of...wherever she was. To her right, a sharp drop indicated the edge of a cliff where a telltale lava-like bubbling told her that it would not be nice to fall down that steep precipice. In every other direction, ominous, oppressive darkness was all that was visible except for a faint, blood-red glow coming from straight in front of her.

Despite the perilous landscape, her feet were bare, and she wore what looked like some sort of crossover between a tunic and a toga. She felt somehow taller and more powerful, almost as if she was a goddess. Hesitantly, she took a step forward and was pleased to find that the sharp material on the ground did not cut her skin.

A hot wind swept across the terrain from behind her, blowing her hair into her face. She shook her head to get rid of the brown strands blocking her vision.

Wait.

_Brown?_

She picked up a sizeable chunk of the reflective material - obsidian, maybe? - around the size of a handheld mirror. Sure enough, her hair was brown.

'What in Hades?' she muttered to herself as she studied her image more closely. Apart from her hair color, her general appearance seemed to be slightly altered. Her face still looked like _her,_ but slightly more mature, her cheekbones more defined and her jawline sharper. What little leftover characteristics from childhood seemed to have faded, and in its place stood the quintessential image of a woman in her late twenties or early thirties. Her hands were calloused, indicating that she had worked hard for many years, but the lines around the corners of her eyes told her that she smiled very often.

But the most astounding part about her apparent change was that her eyes were brown. A deep, chocolate brown, the kind of brown which gave her a homely feeling and made her think about her mother's blue cookies dotted with brown chocolate chips. The kind of brown which reminded her of her childhood before Gabe, some of her best days spent alongside Sally, and a wave of nostalgia nearly brought tears to her eyes.

'Is...this me?' she whispered.

' _No. This is me. Though I can see why my children think you are me.'_

Wisty's hands instinctively crept to her pocket, but there was no person in sight. 'Where?'

' _In your mind, my dear,'_ and Wisty could suddenly feel a presence in the back of her voice sounded female, a little like her, but deeper. _'Although we will meet soon, I promise.'_

'I dislike other people freeloading in my brain,' Wisty warned, although the presence did not seem malicious. 'The last time someone's mind got manipulated, World War III almost started and I almost died, multiple times.'

' _I assure you, I am benevolent,'_ the voice promised. _'I am here for protection. And to protect you.'_

'I'll be the judge of that,' she retorted.

' _Intelligent,'_ the voice chuckled. _'Your father would do well to learn more from you.'_

'You know my dad?' Wisty blinked. 'How old are you? Not to be rude.'

' _No, it is fine. I'm older than you might think. Much older.'_

Already, an idea of this unknown woman's identity was forming in her mind. 'If you're who I think you are, you must know how to change me back to my original self, and tell me what this place is.'

' _I'm afraid I cannot.'_

'Why not?' Wisty demanded.

' _This is Tartarus. With your own body, you can survive for around thirty minutes without intervention, and the effects reach well beyond a dream. Now, we must go, before he smells your presence.'_

'He? Who? And go where-'

The red cavern disappeared in a blur. When Wisty's sight was restored, she found herself atop a mountain. In front of her stood a gigantic castle, shaped purely from black marble with high peaks which reached well beyond the swirling dark clouds overhead. Behind her, thick mist - both physical and magical - separated the top of the mountain from the rest of the world. Wisty could feel the magical energy humming around her, veiling the unusualness of the mountain from mortal eyes.

She sniffed. The air smelt like...eucalyptus?

'This place isn't natural,' she muttered. 'It's almost like a giant-'

' _-mausoleum? Yes, that's what I said to Kronos, but he insisted on the decor. I never liked it. Too evil-looking for my taste...although not for husband dearest, evidently.'_

'You're Rhea,' Wisty said matter-of-factly. 'Queen of the Titans and my grandmother.'

' _Smart girl,'_ she felt the equivalent of a smile in her mind. _'But you might want to stay silent for now and let me do the talking. You just need to observe carefully as I stall for time.'_

Wisty heard footsteps and sensed a powerful entity approaching. As if on autopilot, her tense body relaxed and she felt herself put on a smile. She tried to speak, but she couldn't control her body. Soon, the oppressive presence revealed itself to be…

'Hello, Atlas,' she heard herself saying. 'Have you missed me?'

Atlas, a gigantic hunk of a man resembling a perfect Ancient Greek statue, with muscles rippling underneath his expensive-looking brown suit, broad shoulders, and hands which could hold two footballs and have room to spare. His oily dark hair was slicked back neatly, and his grey eyes looked as if he had stones in place of his irises. He reminded her of someone she knew…

Hearing her - or rather, Rhea - he froze and slowly turned to stare at her. 'Aunt Rhea?' he breathed. 'You are back?'

' _Isn't he meant to be under the sky or something?'_ Wisty demanded. _'Why is he just chilling in a huge palace? By the way, I'd like my body back soon.'_

'Well, I'm right here, am I not?' Rhea chuckled and took a step forwards. Atlas stood frozen in place, his eyes showing his disbelief. _'Atlas is free. You will see why soon. And this is only temporary.'_

'Kronos told me you were gone for good,' he said. 'That you would never come back.'

'Evidently, he is wrong,' Rhea said harshly, anger leaking into her calm tone. 'As he often is.' Her voice softened again. 'Well? Are you going to invite me back to my palace?'

This seemed to shock Atlas into action. 'Are you going to be joining us?' he asked. 'In our quest against Olympus, I mean.'

'That remains to be seen,' Rhea replied smoothly. 'I'm very angry at my children and grandchildren for throwing me into Tartarus...but your side has yet to prove better.'

'As long as there is a possibility, then by all means, come inside,' Atlas invited. 'It's good to have you back, Aunty.'

' _He calls you Aunty?'_ Wisty thought incredulously.

'Charming as always, General Atlas,' Rhea smiled warmly. _'Atlas had great respect for me back in the day. I almost convinced him to rebel against Kronos. Unfortunately, he didn't, but he also let me go free, so I owe him, in some sense.'_ 'I see the palace is as gloomy as ever.'

'Kronos insists,' Atlas sighed. 'I wanted to add some grey here and there, some gold maybe, but he loves the black.' He waved his hand, and a black table complete with black leather chairs appeared out of thin air in the huge hallway. 'Please, sit. We have much to talk about.'

' _Look around you and listen carefully. Only Atlas can see us.'_ Wisty felt herself turn and busied her own mind by paying attention to her surroundings. There were huge Greek-style columns holding up the roof on either side of a huge corridor. Beyond the entryway, a faint golden glow emitted from some object, and Wisty could hear the swirling of wind inside. 'Oh, please, nephew. I just come back from Tartarus and you want me to sit down? I spent millennia inside that hellhole, I need to breathe some fresh air. Come, take me around. My memory of the palace is not as good as it used to be.'

Atlas looked uncertain. 'Until I secure your allegiance, I cannot reveal anything beyond this point.'

Rhea sighed. 'Understandable. At least show me where Zeus put you to suffer. Who is holding it up now? I was told the sky is a heavy burden to bear.'

Atlas's face darkened. Obviously, mentions of Zeus and the sky struck a nerve. 'Aye, it is, but unfortunately I cannot tell you who is under it. All you can know is that she is important, and she is powerful.'

' _Oh, no…'_ Wisty thought with dread. _'Don't tell me it's…'_

'Let me guess,' Rhea forced another smile. 'One of the Olympians?'

Atlas shrugged. 'Classified.'

' _It is then,'_ Rhea said in her mind. _'I'm sure you can figure it out from here.'_ 'You don't seem to trust me one bit, Atlas. What happened?'

'Kronos's orders,' Atlas shrugged again. 'Everyone who isn't part of his inner circle gets nearly no information.'

'And you just follow his orders like a slave,' Rhea muttered. 'What if I told you I know a piece of information about the demigods?' She leaned in close, and Wisty wrinkled her nose figuratively as she caught the strong smell of a sharp-scented cologne. 'I heard there is a traitor amongst them ready to commit to your cause.'

Atlas let loose a booming laugh. 'That is old news, Aunt Rhea. He has been working for us since the beginning, and he is here now.'

' _Keep that in mind,'_ Rhea told her through thought. _'The traitor is not at your camp. Who is not at camp and might be a traitor?'_

' _Luke,'_ Wisty thought. _'But surely-'_

' _Just keep it in mind,'_ Rhea put on another smile. 'Well, seems like I'm a little outdated on my information,' she chuckled, and Wisty would've believed it to be genuine had she not been conversing with the Titaness. 'Well, if I'm not getting my tour, I'd better leave. The world has changed much, and I am not caught up with all the new mortal inventions and traditions.'

Atlas nodded, then hesitated. '...will we meet again, Aunt Rhea?'

Rhea laughed. 'Very soon, nephew. Very soon.'

* * *

Wisty woke up in cold sweat...which shouldn't have been possible, considering she's lying naked in a bathtub full of warm water. Her body felt scratchy and raw, and when inspecting it closely she could see newly formed skin still sensitive to the touch.

She stood up slowly. The splashing sounds indicated that her hearing was repaired, and she could see clearly again, which was a huge relief. She was in the bathroom of the camp's infirmary. Most of her wounds seem to have healed, but her back still stung painfully from the burns when she stretched it. Her legs no longer felt totally like lead, and she seemed to have all of her bodily functions mostly unimpaired. Also a huge relief.

On the mirror across the room, a sticky note which read _'Don't strain yourself when you wake up. Someone will check on you soon'_ was stuck to its surface with fresh underwear, a silver T-shirt - right, she was a Hunter now - a parka and slim jeans neatly folded and piled on the sink table underneath it. A square of ambrosia and a mini measure glass filled with nectar sat next to them. Wisty gulped down the nectar and swallowed the ambrosia in a bite, not even bothering to taste her favorite comfort food as she put on her undergarments hastily. There were more urgent matters right now. She shrugged on the T-shirt, hurriedly pulled the jeans up - they were a little too tight for her taste - before-

'Where are my sneakers?' she wondered out loud.

'Too damaged to be reused,' a voice said from the door. 'I said not to strain thyself.'

Zoë was leaning against the doorframe, her dark onyx eyes staring impassively at her. 'How long was I out?' Wisty asked.

'We managed to stabilize your condition at eleven-thirty at night,' the lieutenant answered. 'You slept through the whole night and most of the day. It is almost three in the afternoon.'

Wisty's stomach growled. No wonder she was so hungry, but she ignored it. 'I need you to come with me to Chiron,' she said urgently. 'I had a-'

'You are in no condition to be running off anywhere,' Zoë interrupted calmly.

'I feel fine.' Wisty tried to walk out of the room.

'You won't after a jog,' Zoë said, blocking her way out. For her slim build, the Hunter was pretty damn strong. Or maybe she was just weak from the fight. 'Your body has not fully recuperated. It will not for at least another two days, and that is if thou return to thy bathtub.'

'This is too important,' Wisty insisted, trying to slip under Zoë's arms. Surprisingly, Zoë let her go, and she took off. She relished in freedom for around five steps before her knees buckled. A wave of nausea washed over her, and she would've fallen face-first to the ground had Zoë not caught her by her stomach.

'There is a lesson to be learned there, Wisteria Jackson,' she warned as she hauled her upright. Wisty leaned against the wall, catching her breath. Her heart beat wildly in her chest and she felt weak all over. 'You are a Hunter of Artemis now, temporary or not, and the responsibility for your wellbeing falls upon _my_ shoulders, at least until Artemis returns-'

'Artemis can't return if she's _captured!'_ Wisty snapped. Zoe's mouth snapped shut.

' _What_ did thou say?' she demanded.

'I had a dream,' Wisty said. She proceeded to explain her dream to Zoë, leaving out some _minor_ details - such as her connection with Rhea and Luke possibly being a traitor, she wanted to keep it to herself for now - but she elaborated in detail about what Atlas said. She had to twist and stretch some truths to keep her secrets secret, but...oh, well, hopefully her new superior wouldn't be mad.

When she finished her half-true tale about how she was trapped by Atlas and woke up right before he killed her in the dream, Zoë looked very troubled and not half as happy. 'No,' she shook her head. 'The General cannot be free.'

'I almost got killed by him,' Wisty snapped. 'Unless you want to tell me my brain made up a dream about a bulky man I never met before.'

Zoë looked positively murderous. 'Assume what thou claim is true,' she ground out, 'then we must act at once. I will mobilize the Hunters immediately.'

Wisty nodded. 'Am I to tell Chiron?'

Zoë's pressed her lips together tightly. 'You are to tell him nothing,' she ordered, 'until we leave New York. I will Iris-message thee when-'

'Hold on,' Wisty interrupted. She crossed her arms. 'Why am I not going?'

'Do I really have to explain why?' Zoë snapped irately. 'You are weak, injured and in no condition for a quest.'

'I'm a Hunter and I can walk, so I'm going on this damn quest,' Wisty countered, equally as annoyed. 'I can heal much faster than normal and I'm a decent fighter. I don't see why I'm _not_ on a quest which _I_ had a dream about.'

Zoë's mouth thinned further, if possible. 'You may heal fast, but certainly not fast enough. We have six days until the Winter Solstice, give or take. Artemis's presence is crucial at the Council. If Artemis is not present on Olympus at the time of the Solstice, the gods will achieve nothing, and another year of war preparations would be wasted.' She stared icily at Wisty. 'This is not about personal glory, _recruit_. This is war, and thou would do well to not hinder our progress.'

'You think I give a damn about glory?' Wisty tried to remain calm, but she could feel her left eye twitching. 'I'm a _Hunter_ now, and Artemis is my immediate superior. If she is in danger, should I not help?' Zoë was glaring at her, but she stared right back resolutely. 'If I have to drink ten gallons of seawater, I _will_ do it, but I'm going on this quest.'

Zoë looked like she wanted to argue, but without warning, her jaw slacked and her eyes widened. Wisty felt a buzz in her brain, a change in her physique which saw her grow a few inches taller. Her hands grew more calloused and what hair she could see in her peripheral vision turned chocolate brown. She tried to move, but she no longer had control of her own body. _'What in Hades?'_ she demanded inside her head. _'This is important, and do you really want her to know-'_

' _Shh. Zoë is trustworthy. Let me talk,'_ Rhea's voice echoed in her mind. She felt herself smile warmly on the surface. 'Zoë Nightshade,' she - or rather, Rhea - said. 'We meet again.'

'Queen Rhea,' Zoë replied. 'But-'

'How am I here?' Rhea finished. 'Well, long story short, most of my consciousness is still inside the Pit, but I've managed to establish a link with Wisteria here powerful enough to shapeshift into my own preferred form. Alas, I'm not here to chitchat.' Her voice grew serious, and Wisty could feel her struggling to maintain the link. It almost felt like she was feeling Rhea's emotions herself, but in a way that was more detached and less noticeable. 'We have little time, as it puts great strain on me to maintain this form for long, but know this: Wisteria Jackson must go on this quest. Without her, it will fail.'

Zoë looked rebellious, but it almost looked comical through the eyes of the Titaness. 'She is unwell and ill-prepared. I fail to see-'

'She will fully heal very soon,' Rhea interrupted. 'Do you think she would have woken so soon just from your treatment? My presence is enough to speed up her recovery in time for your quest. If she unleashes the true extent of her inherited powers, none of your Hunters would stand a chance, and nearly all of them are experienced warriors.'

' _Not sure about that, but-'_

' _Shh. Exaggeration is an art of negotiating. Besides, it is true.'_

'The Hunters are not warriors,' Zoë retorted doggedly.

'You are ignoring the point,' Rhea dismissed. 'Wisteria is objectively more useful on the quest than any of yours with her swordsmanship and abilities. Besides…' she spread her arms. 'You are dealing with Titans. Would you not want _another_ Titaness on your side?'

_Another?_

Zoë's eyes sharpened. 'You _are_ a Titaness,' she agreed, 'so should I not question thy allegiance?'

WIsty felt her - Rhea's - face tighten, just for a split second, as a shadow of...some emotion similar to nervousness flitted across her mind. It was fleeting, but it was there, and whether it was simply caused by the strain of maintaining her connection or some other, darker reason, Wisty's guard was instantly up. However, the Titaness recovered almost instantly, schooling her expression back to a neutral one. 'You should,' she allowed. 'But you have little time to do so. In that case, you should consider all the facts of the situation. Wisteria received the dream; she knows the location where Artemis is being held; she is a powerful demigod, a good fighter, and has a Titaness residing in her mind who has proved to be benevolent thus far, as she can testify. She should be on the quest.'

Rhea was hard to argue against, which was evident as Zoë struggled for an answer. She certainly exhibited a flagrant aura of authority and persuasiveness. Wisty mentally pushed back with all her might and breathed a sigh of relief when Rhea's hold on her form buckled. She transformed until her body once again resembled herself.

'Sorry,' she apologized to Zoë. 'I just found out as well. But I think she does have a point.' Inwardly, she was seething at Rhea. _'Can you never do that again, please? I like my own body.'_

But Rhea had gone silent. Zoë sighed reluctantly.

'You are eligible to come on the quest,' she grudgingly compromised. 'However, this does not mean we will choose you.'

'Does this mean we're telling Chiron? And going through proper quest procedures so we don't run to our deaths aimlessly?'

'It will not be _aimless,'_ Zoë scowled. 'But...yes, I suppose we cannot hide it.'

Wisty figured Zoë wasn't going to back down any further, so she agreed promptly. Zoë eyed her suspiciously.

'Be wary of Rhea, Wisteria,' she warned. 'She is a Titaness, master sorceress and sly schemer. You would do well to separate from her as soon as possible.'

'Believe me, I don't like someone taking over my body either.' But Rhea had gotten her a chance at this quest and hinted at another valuable piece of information. She mentioned herself as _another_ Titaness...almost as if they had one on their side already. Rhea was an immortal, so Wisty had no doubts that her benevolence came with a price, but two could play that game, and she would squeeze as much information out of the former queen as she could.

'I suppose nobody does.' Zoë looked around carefully, as if afraid of eavesdroppers, before reaching into... _nothing?_ And grabbing out a pair of hunting knives. They looked like standard-issue Hunter's knives, plain hilt wrapped in leather, sharp silver blades sheathed in, well, sheathes. 'You will get your bow after we deal with this quest,' she explained. 'From what I heard from Artemis, thou art...unskilled with ranged weapons, and we have no time to train you.'

Wisty nodded but continued to stare at her, flabbergasted. 'How'd you do that?' She mimicked the pulling motion. 'Pulling knives out of the air.'

Her lieutenant shrugged. 'Basic sorcery is not so difficult. 'Tis merely a small storage compartment for emergencies.'

'You know how to do _sorcery?'_

Zoë gave her an exasperated look. 'I have lived for multiple millennia alongside gods and goddesses, and thou find it hard to believe that I can do some basic Mist manipulation?'

Wisty was impressed. And maybe a tad bit suspicious. 'Teach me,' she said.

'I may very well teach thee some basic mental defenses,' Zoë agreed. 'With a Titaness in thy head, you will need to learn to repel her attacks.'

Wisty wasn't sure she would call them _attacks,_ perhaps more of a forceful but momentary invasion of privacy...which didn't sound a whole lot better. 'As long as you teach me that trick as well.'

Zoë almost - _almost_ \- smiled. 'Of course.'

* * *

Wisty trusted Zoë to pass the information to Chiron, so she wasn't the least bit surprised when the horn blast sounded for an emergency counselor meeting.

She had been swimming offshore within the borders of the camp, so by the time she got out, she felt a few million times better than she did a few hours ago. She just wished the meeting wasn't sounded right before dinnertime, because her stomach was making unsophisticated noises similar to the growl of a hellhound and she really wanted to get something in there. So before going to the meeting, she snuck back to her cabin and grabbed a Snickers bar before heading to the Big House.

It wasn't until she was halfway there when she realized the obvious. Thalia, as the sole inhabitant and therefore cabin counselor of Cabin One, would be there as well, as well as Annabeth and...not Luke. After the forest fire fiasco, Wisty wasn't sure how she felt about the girl anymore. She hadn't given it much thought while she was immersed in her beloved element. On one hand, she was almost _killed,_ but on the other hand, manic rage wasn't something Thalia was unfamiliar with…

Well, she wasn't in the wrong, anyway. Wisty squared her shoulders and strode into the Big House exuding confidence. Chiron was already there in his magical wheelchair, along with Zoë, idly strumming the string on her huge longbow. The activities director's grim face broke into a relieved smile when he noticed Wisty.

'Well, Zoë told me that you were fine, but it's always great to see it,' he said, beaming. 'Welcome back, Wisty.'

'Glad to be back, Chiron,' Wisty smiled back as she took her seat. You guys did a great job patching me up.'

'Without your new blessing, your soul would be in Charon's lobby already.' Chiron looked at her knowingly. 'I hope you've made the right choice, my girl.'

'She has,' Zoë interrupted. 'I will make sure of it.'

'Thank you, Mom,' Wisty grumbled.

'I am older than thy mother's great-grandmother by two millennia.' Zoë sounded amused. 'I am certainly old enough to take the position.' This was followed by laughter from Chiron and Wisty's hasty reply stating that no, she did not want Zoë to be her mother. They made idle chatter as one by one, the seats filled up. Clarisse was first, always eager for a quest, with the Stolls and Demeter's Miranda Gardner close behind. Annabeth arrived soon after and broke into a relieved smile when she saw Wisty swiping experimentally when her new knives. They exchanged an embrace before she took her seat.

Some odd looks were thrown at her, and most of the conversation around the room involved some mention of the Hunters, often with her name in it. She heard Silena mutter 'so does she still count as a counselor?' and shot her the worst glare she could muster up. That shut the Aphrodite girl up effectively.

Thalia arrived last. Wisty was...suitably shocked upon witnessing her appearance. She looked nothing like the tough exterior she always put on, with unwashed tear marks streaking her face and bloodshot eyes rimmed with red. Her dark hair, normally spiked up with tons of gel, drooped slightly, and she wore a _sweater,_ something Thalia usually despised and never wore. The whole room hushed as she quickly took the only seat left beside Wisty (undoubtedly a scheme machinated by the Stolls of Aphrodite demigods). The daughter of Zeus wouldn't face her or even glance at her, and the best Wisty could do was a pat on the back and a whispered reassurance before the meeting commenced.

Sure, she probably ought to be mad at the person who almost killed her, but Wisty just...couldn't muster up any anger. Seeing Thalia, a person who never cried and rarely apologized, with tear marks on her face and a less than convincing slouch, unable to even look at her...Wisty had always been soft about people who cried and she just...wasn't a person who could stay mad at a person streaked with guilt. She imagined Thalia right now, undeniably full of self-loathing and guilt and terrible emotions and probably feeling isolated from the rest of the camp, and she just…

It was hard to look at anyone that way, much less a friend...frenemy.

So when Chiron started off the meeting by asking Thalia to formally apologize, Wisty stopped him and shot glares at anyone who made a peep. She was sure Thalia would apologize in her own time. She didn't need the pressure of dealing with all the senior counselors.

'I'm fine, and I suggest you all leave her be,' she warned. 'Let's move on to why we actually held a meeting.'

Chiron didn't object, so Wisty continued, explaining her dream with as much relevant detail as possible. When she finished, the demigods broke into rounds of hushed whispering despite Chiron's best efforts to calm them down until Zoë banged a fist onto the table.

'Stop this useless chatter,' she snapped. 'You are counselors, behave like it.'

Clarisse scowled at her menacingly. Wisty cut in before another argument arose. 'We know that demigod dreams are often omens and glimpses of what the future holds,' she started. 'I don't mean to sound arrogant, but I've been at the center of the mythological world's happenings since I first entered this camp. I think it's clear that this calls for a quest.'

'I agree,' Annabeth stated. 'None of Wisty's dreams have proven to be just nightmares. We need a quest. And a prophecy.'

'This is clearly Wisty's quest,' Travis called out. 'She should go to the Oracle now.'

Zoë glared at him. 'I am Artemis's lieutenant and leader of the Hunters in her absence. This concerns me more than it concerns Wisteria. I will go.'

Silena rolled her eyes. 'You Hunters and your egos. She got the dream, dummy. Obviously it's her quest.'

'She is unwell,' Zoë insisted. Wisty shot her a scandalized look. 'I would prefer to not take her.'

'Judging from how she basically threatened to kick our butts, I'd say she's pretty fine,' Michael Yew, Apollo's cabin counselor, inserted. 'Just because Artemis is your goddess doesn't mean it's your quest. Besides, Wisty is a Hunter now.'

Zoë scowled at him. 'I know where we must go,' she said. 'I must be on the quest.'

Silena sighed condescendingly. 'How would you know that without a prophecy?'

Zoë whirled on her. 'I've been alive since before your mother was born from Ouranos's loins,' she seethed. 'I know many more things than _thou_ do.'

Silena stood up, her chair scraping loudly against the tiles, making Wisty wince. 'Oh yeah?' she challenged. 'Then did you know that Estee Lauder dropped a bottle of her perfume at a convention so people would smell it?'

'Who in the name of Artemis's longbow is _Estee Lauder,_ you pretentious-'

'We can both go,' Wisty raised her voice. 'She's my immediate superior, so if she wants to go, I won't object, but I think that as the person with the dream, I get a shot at it as well.'

'Don't know why people are fighting over going to the creepy mummy,' Katie muttered, 'but go ahead.'

'Fine,' Zoë agreed reluctantly. 'That is a good compromise.'

That settled it, and without any further objections, Wisty and Zoë headed up the stairs to the attic. As they climbed in silence, the air became damper and mustier with each step. The stairs creaked loudly when they set foot on them, and soon Wisty found the stifling atmosphere unbearable.

'What did you mean, when you said that you know where to go?' she asked Zoë.

Zoë gave her a glance. 'That is unimportant.'

'I think knowing where to go is pretty important.'

They were onto the last flight of stairs now. ' _How_ I know is unimportant,' Zoë said tightly. 'For now, it is only important that I _do_ know. If thou must know, the castle thou encountered in your dream is Mount Othrys, the Titan equivalent of Mount Olympus.'

'And you know where that is?'

Zoë sighed. 'Yes. Perhaps one day I will tell you how,' she said. 'Perhaps Rhea knows, but I do not think she does, and I hope she respects my privacy.'

Wisty figured that was the best answer she could get, so she refrained from further questioning. They climbed the last few stairs, and Zoë pushed on the old wooden door. It opened with a long _creak._

The air inside was stale and suffocating. Everything was tinged with an uncomfortable venomous green - the air, the walls, the floor, the ceiling, even the three-legged stool which the Oracle sat on. Strangely, many of the magic items seem to have been spared from dust. As they walked towards the Oracle, Zoë picked up a pink scarf labeled:

' **APHRODITE'S SCARF, RECOVERED BY WISTERIA JACKSON ANNABETH CHASE'**

'You found this?' she asked, holding the neckwear on her fingertips distastefully, as if revolted by its mere presence. Wisty nodded.

'It was my first quest,' she explained. 'We were meant to retrieve Ares's shield, but we got this as well. I thought he gave it to Aphrodite.'

Zoë smiled dryly at that. 'Ah, yes. That was quite the entertainment on Olympus. Artemis showed us a replay. I quite enjoyed watching thee flail around in the ride with the girl. She shouted some useless formula about force and mass and whatnot. You ended up jumping too far and would have probably broken a few bones had the satyr not been there with Hermes's shoes.'

Wisty scoffed. 'Well, don't you have a good memory,' she said sarcastically. 'Always great to hear my most humiliating moments retold.'

'You are a Hunter now. You will get used to it,' Zoë promised. Wisty was about to point out that she wasn't decided, but the sheer look of confidence on the lieutenant's face made the words die in her throat.

They approached the mummy. Its eyes seemed to become more and more viridescent with each step they took. Green mist started coiling around their feet, and Wisty could hear the ethereal hiss of snakes all around her.

She glanced at Zoë. 'Together?' she asked.

Zoë nodded. 'On my signal. Three, two, one-'

'How must we save Artemis?'

The Oracle's eyes exploded with a snakelike green light. The mist thickened and spread, permeating the atmosphere, as if to block the path behind them. Its mouth opened, and with a series of hisses and snarls, it spoke.

' _Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,'_

Wisty and Zoë exchanged glances. This confirmed what they believed was true.

' _One shall be lost in the land without rain.'_

' _Beware the Queen who raises her sails,'_

' _As the Bane of Olympus shows the trail.'_

'Rhea,' Zoë's lips thinned. 'Do not trust her.'

' _Hunters and Campers combined prove triumphant,'_

' _Unlikely reunions warble their united defiance.'_

' _The violet blossom bears the Titan's Curse,_

_While nightingales trill their final verse.'_

The mist retreated into the Oracle's mouth. The hisses faded away, and the mummy sat there, as if it hadn't just spoken a foreboding, potentially damning prophecy. Wisty shivered, even though the atmosphere wasn't cold in the slightest. Zoë gave the Oracle a reproachful look.

'Must you be so cryptic, Pythia?' she muttered. Addressing Wisty, she added, 'Come on. Let's go.'

* * *

The prophecy served as quite the dampener to the mood inside the Big House's main room.

Everyone remained quiet as Wisty recited the prophecy. Chiron stroked his beard concernedly. Annabeth had her thinking face on. Clarisse was stony-faced with her boots on the table, as was Zoë, except without the boots. Even Thalia looked in contemplation despite her blues.

'I think it's pretty obvious that "the goddess" is Artemis,' Wisty began, breaking the oppressive silence. 'This confirms my dream and raises the need for a quest. I believe Zoë has an idea of where to go.'

Zoë glanced at her warningly. 'My idea is all but clear. It is a mere hunch. I will not contribute until I am absolutely sure of my information.'

Wisty sighed. 'I tried,' she muttered. _'Five shall go west._ I think the number of questers has already been determined for us.'

' _Campers and Hunters combined prevail,'_ Annabeth added. 'We need both campers and Hunters on the quest.'

Zoë scowled. 'I would prefer to take all the Hunters, but the Oracle is not to be denied. I will lead the quest.' She glared around the table. 'Unless there are any objections.'

Wisty didn't object. She'd rather have someone experienced who knows where to go lead them rather than herself. Clarisse looked angry but said nothing. None of the others had the guts to stand up to Zoë's sharp gaze.

'I need to be on the quest as well,' she added. 'It was given to both of us.'

Zoë scowled. Travis raised the question which was undoubtedly on everyone's minds. 'So does Wisty count as a Hunter, or a camper?'

Everyone looked towards Chiron, who pursed his lips. 'That is debatable,' he mused. 'I do not believe it matters whether she counts as a camper, a Hunter, or both, as to be safe about the Oracle's prophecy we must have at least another camper on the quest. But, considering her situation as a... _intern_ in the Hunt, I would say she is both, as she is still the Head Counselor of Cabin Three.'

'Wasn't a counselor in Capture the Flag,' Silena muttered. Her comment stung, but Wisty shrugged it off.

'In fairness, I think we should have two more campers and one more Hunter,' she suggested. 'That way, both sides are equal, or as close to equal as can be, regardless of my identity crisis.'

'No,' Zoë snapped. 'I will not have more than one more camper on this quest. Our main objective is to succeed, not to be _fair._ My Hunters are objectively more competent than thy campers, Chiron,' she added. 'No disrespect intended.'

That earned a couple of glares from the counselors, but after that annihilation in Capture the Flag nobody could find the heart to argue. Chiron sighed. That was a sour point for him.

'Very well,' he said. 'Zoë, you can choose another two of yours from the Hunt's roster. Since Wisty is technically co-leading the quest, we can leave the choice of the one camper to her.'

Zoë nodded, satisfied. Wisty stood up and surveyed the room. None of the people present seemed particularly eager to go on the quest. She supposed the 'lost in the land without rain' and 'trill their final verse' parts of the prophecy kind of discouraged them.

Only Annabeth looked evidently keen. Wisty knew she wanted to save Luke. She was about to choose the daughter of Athena when a tug on her finger from her right stopped her.

'I would like to go on the quest,' Thalia said, quietly but firmly. 'If you will choose me, Wisty.'

'I disapprove,' Zoë immediately said. 'You are volatile and unpredictable. You almost killed the person sitting next to thee, who happens to be one of _my_ Hunters. I will not have thee on this quest.'

'That is not your decision,' Wisty snapped. Zoë looked taken aback, as if she didn't expect her authority to be challenged. Wisty looked at Thalia, whose bright eyes shone with a new determination not present moments ago. A need for redemption, she thought. A chance at apologizing. An opportunity to mend their broken relationship.

The room was deceitfully silent, buzzing with tense energy threatening to burst. Everyone's attention was on her. She glanced at Annabeth, who looked deceptively indifferent, which meant she would be fuming inside if she wasn't chosen. Chiron's expression gave away none of his thoughts.

'It is your choice, child,' he told her. 'I trust you to make the right decision.'

 _Well, thanks for the advice._ She sighed. The difficult decisions fell to her far too often.

'I choose Thalia,' she said. The room broke into an uproar. Zoë shot Wisty the fiercest glare she had ever seen and stormed out of the room. Annabeth shook her head angrily and followed suit. Chiron sighed and attempted to calm down the counselors, who were about to form a full-on riot.

But amidst the negativity and disapproval, Thalia stood up and grasped her hand. 'Thank you,' she whispered, and that felt better than any compliment or approval anyone else could have given her. The feeling of the start of reconciliation was something unique and inexplicably calming. All her pent up emotions from the past few months until the previous day suddenly seemed to melt away like snowflakes in the sunlight. 'I won't let you down.'

'I'm sure you won't,' Wisty smiled. 'Now, go wash up and prepare. We've got a quest, first thing tomorrow.'


	5. Interlude I: Cabin Eight

**Interlude**

Wisty visited the Artemis cabin for the first time that night.

It was nearly midnight, and the simple yet elegant building glowed softly underneath the gentle rays of the moon overhead. Whether it was magic or not, Wisty couldn't tell, but it gave off a feeling of calm and peace like no other cabin did, not even her Cabin Three. From afar, it looked like a traditional Ancient Greek-style building, with a sloped roof resembling rays of moonlight held up on each corner by sleek, minimalistic columns elevated on a platform connected to the ground with small steps. Were they Doric columns? Annabeth constantly reminded everyone around her of the three styles of Greek columns, and Wisty seemed to recall that Doric columns looked the simplest with their plain, circular capitals. Luke called them Flat, Curvy, and Fancy, which always made Annabeth miffed, but the laughs they shared were well worth the pranks they would endure after every such time.

The exterior walls were decorated with carvings depicting images of various wild animals hunted by female hunters wielding bows, arrows, and knives — mostly stags, bears and boars, her sacred animals. They connected on either side to a silver marble door framed by little glowing engravings of the stages of the moon, from the first crescents right at the middle of the bottommost side to the round, full discs of the full moon right in the center of the arch, then back to the waning crescents until the cycle repeated itself. Above the door was what Wisty assumed to be a decorative moondial, just as Cabin Seven had a sundial above theirs. Wisty took a slow stroll around the cabin, taking in the tiny, intricate details of the carvings. The labyrinth of lines and shapes played tricks on her eyes as she tried to identify every person, animal, and item.

She completed her lap and arrived back at the door. Hesitating for a moment, she took a deep breath and pushed open the doors.

The doors were surprisingly light despite the material they were made of, and Wisty nearly stumbled inside as all of the force behind her push met no resistance. She quickly righted herself and quietly walked down the hallway.

On the left of the corridor was another which led to a generous bathroom, complete with multiple toilet stalls, baths, and showers, all separated with walls and doors for privacy. There were ten sinks in total, more than in any other cabin. One of them was occupied by a girl washing her hands.

The girl noticed her. She had an _'Artemis the Moon Goddess, Fall Hunting Tour 2002'_ T-shirt on. Wisty recognized Phoebe from the short time she spent with them before Capture the Flag. 'Oh. Hey. Wisteria, right?'

Wisty nodded. 'And you're Phoebe, if I'm not mistaken.'

'You got it.' Phoebe extended a large hand. 'Phoebe, daughter of Pallas.'

'Pallas...Athena?'

Phoebe snorted. 'You won't believe how many new recruits ask me that,' she muttered. 'No, Pallas, the Titan.'

Wisty was surprised, but she tried not to show her shock. 'I bet not many people know that.'

'Only within the Hunt,' Phoebe wrung her hands on a towel. 'I'd prefer it if you kept it that way. Demititans aren't so welcomed nowadays.'

'You have my word.'

'Good,' Phoebe nodded. 'Most of the newer girls are asleep down the hall, because Zoë told them she might pick any of them for the quest and she needed them to rest well. The older ones are probably down at the archery range with her. I'm the only one here right now.'

'Zoë wouldn't do that. Pick any of them, I mean.' From the short time she'd interacted with Zoë, the lieutenant wasn't a big fan of sentimentality.

'Smart,' Phoebe chuckled. 'Keep it quiet, will you? Don't burst their bubble. It was the only way to get them to sleep tonight, because everyone was just too curious. The younger ones got very excited upon hearing that. They don't usually get picked for missions.'

Wisty smiled at that. 'I bet they did. I'd also bet that you're the first one Zoë picked.'

'I see why Artemis likes you so much,' Phoebe grinned. 'You're not too slow, ey? Good catch, milady. Now if only you weren't caught by Titans.' She patted Wisty on the shoulder and walked out of the bathroom. 'C'mon, rookie. I'll give you a tour. Just don't wake anyone up.'

Wisty hurried to catch up with her. 'You been in the Hunt for some time?'

Phoebe nodded. 'I'm older than Zoë. Could've been lieutenant, but I can't say I would've done better than her.' She sounded wistful. Wisty wondered if Phoebe still wanted a shot at the position deep down in her heart.

'So why are you not with them at the archery range?'

Phoebe shrugged. 'Just not really feeling it tonight, I guess. Kind of tired. A lot of stress and all.'

Wisty nodded, understanding. 'You seem pretty caught up with modern culture for someone older than Zoë,' she said. 'She still speaks Shakespeare.'

Phoebe laughed quietly. 'Right. We're here.' She waved her hand aimlessly around them. 'This is kind of like the living room. I guess you can see that, with the couches and beanbags and stuff. That wall down there is the bedroom. We've got a lot of bunks, because Artemis's great like that.' She shrugged. 'Not a lot of other things here. About Zoë, she's always been pretty old fashioned. Her English isn't _Shakespeare_ by the way, it's modern English. The only words she uses from the old dialect is the _thee_ s and _thou_ s and so on. The second-person pronouns, unless they're at the beginning or the end of a sentence. Me, I like modern culture. Less prejudice against women, discrimination against other races, all that bad stuff, and a lot more good stuff, like Skittles and guns.' She turned to look at Wisty, who must have looked a little lost, because she laughed. 'Yeah, I know it's a bit confusing, but you'll get used to it if you stay. I'm assuming you're going to stay at your own cabin tonight.'

Wisty nodded. 'All my stuff's there. I have to prepare for tomorrow.'

Phoebe nodded. 'Gotcha. Hey, you guys got a prophecy, right?'

Wisty nodded, again. 'Yeah. Did Zoë not tell you?'

Phoebe scowled. 'She's been pretty tight-lipped about it. Didn't tell Bianca, or me-'

' _Bianca?'_

Phoebe sighed. 'Yeah, she's coming. I don't know why Zoë picked her, to be honest.'

Wisty scowled. 'And she flips out at me for picking Thalia,' she muttered.

'Well, she's not too tight with Thalia. We kind of had a run in years ago. Honestly, if someone almost killed me, I wouldn't pick them either, but I'm not you. Anyways, she didn't tell us a word about what the Oracle said.'

Wisty frowned. 'Okay. I'm sure she has her reasons. She will probably tell you tomorrow.'

'Zoë never does anything without thinking it through,' Phoebe agreed. 'Well, it's getting late. See you tomorrow morning.' The girl turned around to leave. Wisty made a split-second decision.

'Wait,' she said. Phoebe turned around again.

'Yes?'

'Do you mind if I...take a look around the room?'

'Not at all. You're a Hunter. You've got a right to anywhere in the cabin except for locked bathroom and shower stalls.' Phoebe smiled. 'C'mon in.'

Wisty slipped inside the room. Phoebe wasn't lying; there were at least twenty more vacant bunks despite the dozen or so girls sleeping in some of them. There were clothes strewn carelessly across the floor along with pillows from vacant bunks. Bows hung on little hooks on the wall where the entrance was, each one labeled with a name, and quivers were stashed in cylindrical holes, obviously made especially for that purpose, at the foot of each bed. A fireplace crackling with a small flame at the end of the room provided the room with a comforting warmth in contrast to the cold wintry weather, while a window above allowed moonlight to shine through onto the bunks, bathing the sleeping girls with silvery rays.

Every single girl looked at peace. Nobody was tossing, or turning, or crying out for their mortal parents, as Wisty would often hear at night from younger campers. It all felt so...so _homely._ So much like a family of their own.

Phoebe scratched her head, looking a bit embarrassed. 'Er, sorry about the mess,' she whispered. 'Looks like they had a pillow fight again. This happens every time we visit here.'

'No, this is fine,' Wisty hastily but sincerely insisted. 'This...this is great. Really great. They all look so...relaxed. Peaceful.'

'Well, we're a family. You haven't a thing to worry about, because everyone's got each other's backs.' Phoebe grinned. 'Welcome to the Hunt, Wisteria Jackson.'

'Thanks,' Wisty murmured. 'Thank you.'


	6. Motherly Comfort

**5**

She slept peacefully that night. No nightmares raged behind her closed eyes.

It was...unusual. Normally, she would always have some sort of dream about an impending quest. Not this time. It did little to reassure her. In fact, it felt more like the calm before a thunderstorm.

Still, she was thankful for the good rest she was allowed to get. Despite staying up relatively late, a good few hours of sleep was acquired. Demigods naturally needed less sleep than mortals, so that was sufficient - ideal, even - for her to wake naturally to the soft gurgle of the fountain _._

She glanced at the sky through the open window. It was still dark out, but she could just catch a hint of morning sun just below the horizon. So...after six and before seven? She had some time to kill.

She wanted to send an Iris-message to her mother, but there wasn't enough light yet to properly form a rainbow, so she decided to pack some of her gear instead. Lightweight backpack, check. Ambrosia and nectar, check. Ten drachmas from the fountain - they always seemed to just pop out, somehow - check. Fifty bucks of standard quest allocation, check. A notepad and pen containing the prophecy they received (in case they forgot), check.

Hunting knives sheathed and strapped to her jeans, check. Riptide, faithful as always in her pocket, check. She spied the window again. Still no strong rays, but the sky was beginning to light up. She had ample time for breakfast before the sun got too high for an Iris-message, so she shrugged on her new silver jacket and slipped out of the cabin.

She perhaps should have felt the cold more profoundly, but it seems the combined protection of Poseidon's heritage and Artemis's blessing rendered the temperature to little more than a slight chill. The dining pavilion was dimly lit and devoid of anyone except for a lone figure on Table Eight. Zoë sat by herself at the head of the table, gloomily sipping on coffee. Wisty wondered if she was still mad about yesterday.

She decided to approach and ask. Sitting down to the lieutenant's left, she willed her plate to conjure up a nice breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and some salad. Warming her hands on a freshly summoned cup of hot chocolate, she nodded at Zoë politely. 'Hey. Good morning.'

Zoë didn't respond verbally, only nodded. Her low-spirited expression didn't leave. 'You seem gloomy,' Wisty remarked. 'If it's because of Thalia-'

'No. You were within thy rights to choose. I overstepped my boundaries.' Zoë sighed heavily. 'She had I have some unpleasant history which I'd rather not speak of. But I am not angry over her inclusion in the quest.'

'Then what is it?'

Zoë scowled. 'Phoebe. She is unwell.'

Wisty frowned. 'I thought we - meaning Hunters - couldn't get sick.'

Her scowl deepened. 'Your Hermes boys - the Scholes? Sholls?'

'Stolls.'

'Right. The twins. They gave her a T-shirt. It was soaked with centaur blood, which is poisonous. She has rashes all over her skin and is bedridden. She will not be able to go on the quest.'

Wisty choked on her bacon. 'You mean the _Artemis Hunting Tour_ T-shirt?'

'Precisely.' Zoë peered at her suspiciously. 'You had no hand in this, did you?'

'No, no,' Wisty denied hastily. 'I know because I met her yesterday. She gave me a tour of Cabin Eight.'

Zoë nodded, accepting her explanation. 'Damned tricksters,' she swore. 'We will be one member for the worse.'

'Er...you're not going to choose another one?'

Zoë shook her head. 'No. We have no time. I do not want to force anyone on a quest they are unprepared for.'

'Speaking of that,' Wisty began, grabbing her opportunity. 'Bianca is hardly prepared for a quest of this caliber.'

Zoë glared at her. 'And I suppose Phoebe told thee?'

Wisty neither confirmed nor denied it. Zoë sighed.

'I had no choice,' she defended. 'I have not told anyone about this, not even Artemis, but the situation within the Hunt is...uncertain.'

Wisty sipped her hot chocolate. Her scrambled eggs were cold from inattention, but at least she finished the bacon. She swallowed a gulp of the still steaming drink and waited for further explanation.

'Lately, we have had...incidents. Accidents, they would seem, but far too often to be due to coincidence, and often when Artemis is not here. A girl's tent collapsed on her. Phoebe came back with two injured girls, all three claiming that their bowstrings snapped when firing. Ari's explosives, which she plays with often, blew up our armory tent. Annoying? Yes. Lastingly harmful? Not yet, but I fear the accidents will continue to escalate in scale. Hindering the progress in our hunts? Definitely.'

'You haven't told Artemis?'

'I do not report such trivial findings to her,' Zoë stated glumly. 'It is hardly worth mentioning, as the incidents are quickly fixed. Artemis does not spend all of her time with us - a good portion, yes, but she has her godly duties. Any suspicions I have are not dire enough to warrant a direct report.'

'So you suspect an insider.' Wisty's hot chocolate suddenly didn't seem very appetizing. She saw with her own eyes how peaceful Cabin Eight was yesterday...but it seemed like they dealt with the same problems Camp Half-Blood did. 'Any ideas on who?'

Zoë shook her head. 'I know all of my girls, and none of them seem the type to be traitors. Perhaps I am simply blind in my bias.' She sighed. 'Nevertheless, it remains a fact that I cannot trust my girls.' The lieutenant sounded heartbroken. 'Bianca is new, but I sense hidden power in her. She has potential...as do thee, but thy allegiance is not yet secured. I needed another Hunter for the quest...I thought it would be good practice for the future.'

'You sound very doubtful,' Wisty noted. 'We do need one more. Perhaps allowing another camper-'

Zoë shook her head. 'No. One Thalia is enough.' Wisty wanted to argue, but she could tell Zoë wasn't in the mood to compromise, so she backed down and ate her salad. Better not cause conflict before the quest had even started.

She was willing the plate to reheat her eggs when Zoë suddenly said, 'Can I see thy sword?'

Wisty took out Riptide. The ballpoint pen glowed softly in the pale lighting. She handed it to Zoë. The lieutenant took it in both hands with an almost painstaking carefulness. Perhaps it was Wisty's imagination, but for a fleeting moment, she thought she saw Zoë take on the bronze aura of the sword-turned-pen.

'So this is your dormant form now,' Zoë said wistfully, seemingly addressing the sword. There was a pained pride in her eyes when she beheld the pen in her hands. 'A modern writing instrument.'

'You're telling me this wasn't always a pen?'

The girl laughed without humor. 'Anaklusmos and I have a long history. _The current which takes one by surprise._ ' She studied Wisty with an uncanny intensity. 'Do thou know much about her history?'

'Er...I know it comes from the sea a long time ago.' Truthfully, Wisty didn't know much about her trusty pen/sword. It wasn't as if she didn't try to find information, just that there was no information to be found, _anywhere._ Chiron was always tight-lipped about the subject, and researching by herself resulted in a bunch of dead ends. She figured something like a sword with a specific name would be in Greek mythology, but there was little to be found - none, to be exact.

'Close enough,' Zoë muttered. 'She is a medium length _xiphos -_ a one-handed double-edged sword. You can wield it with both hands, but that should only be for duels against heavy weapons. She is well paired with another similar sword or knife - your new hunting knife, for example. She has perfect balance no matter who is wielding it and is enchanted to return to the owner from however far. You might find some other uses for her except for combat, as the enchantments allow her adapt the uses of its current form. For example, I imagine…' she flicked the cap off and watched the sword expand with a _shink._ Firmly pressing the cap to the other end of the sword, the sword re-shrunk back into a pen, except actually useable, the tip glowing with bronze ink.

Wisty blinked, astonished. She took the pen from Zoë's fingers and scribbled on a napkin. It worked perfectly, coppery streaks against the white surface. 'Ok, now that's seriously cool. How do you know this?'

Zoë nearly smiled. 'That is a story for another time,' she said. 'I once wielded her. That is all I will say for now.' She glanced out the window at the lightening sky and scowled. 'I must go check on Bianca. I will meet you on the hill at eight.'

'Wait,' Wisty called to the retreating Hunter. 'One more thing. If I accidentally uncap the sword, can it…'

Zoë turned around, eyebrow raised questioningly.

'...stab me while expanding? Like, if it's facing me and there wasn't enough space...' Wisty finished, feeling stupid. This wasn't even an important question.

But Zoë remained patient. In fact, she seemed amused. 'I cannot say I have ever tried,' she replied. 'I would imagine not, as she is fairly sensible. But I also advise thee to not attempt to test the theory.'

'That's fair.' Wisty nodded, then frowned. 'Wait. You keep calling it _she._ Why?'

But Zoë was already gone. Wisty scowled at the back of the lieutenant. She glanced down at the pen, the tip uncapped and still shining with ink. 'You have a lot of history than what I know, buddy,' she said at it - er, _her_.

If possible, Riptide glowed brighter, as if affirming her statement.

'And I'm determined to figure you out,' she continued. But for now...she better hurry back to Cabin Three. It would be a shame if she missed the last few rays of dawn.

* * *

She made it just in time. The sun was disappearing over her window and she managed to toss a drachma into a very faint rainbow, utter the incantation, and request for Sally Jackson before it disappeared. This gave her very _(very)_ little time to think about how she would break the news...news _es_.

So essentially she had to improvise this extremely important conversation, which could be the last one she has with her mother for...some time. Oh, well. Speak from the heart, right?

As the image coalesced, the first thing she notices is her mother curled up on the couch, a bowl of nachos in her lap and her laptop balanced on her feet. She squinted. Was that...Skype? Was she Skyping someone?

She decided to ask about it. 'Hey, mom.'

Sally flinched, but settled down when she noticed the Iris-message. 'Wisty!' she laughed. 'You gave me a scare!'

'Yeah, sorry, mom,' Wisty grinned. Her mom always made her feel pure happiness. The woman had been through so much in her life, yet she'd managed to maintain such a positive outlook on life. It sometimes gave Wisty the strength to carry on during her darkest hours as well. 'You busy with...something?'

Her mom glanced at the laptop screen, blushed, and quickly lowered it. 'Oh, that's just Paul - er, some guy from the college writing seminar,' she explained hurriedly. 'We're working on a project together.'

'Uh-huh. Right,' Wisty raised an eyebrow.

'Oh, stop it, will you?' Sally sighed and rolled her eyes. 'He's a nice guy.'

'I won't worry too much,' Wisty promised. 'That's not why I called, anyways. I'm going on a quest.'

She expected her mother to be surprised, maybe a little angry, perhaps both, but she just sighed. 'Well, I guess that's why you've been at camp since Westover,' she said. 'I figured something was up.' She tried for a smile, but it was a flimsy mask over the concern evident in her eyes. 'So, what's going on?'

'A lot of things,' Wisty replied. She went on to explain how they'd rescued Bianca and Nico with the help of the Hunters, but Luke had gotten captured. She tried to outline the situation as best as she could without making it sound terribly dangerous, but she should've known that her ever-perceptive mother would not fall for the same tricks over and over again.

'That's what you said when you went to Westover,' she reminded Wisty. 'Chiron called. Apparently you almost died and Luke got taken.'

She got up to the Capture the Flag game, which was when things got tricky. 'So, basically, me and Thalia-'

'Thalia and I.'

'Right. Thalia and I. Our friendship's been a little bumpy, and we argue a lot, and Annabeth and Luke always take her side, so I guess - I guess I just felt like an outsider.' She shook her head, willing the sudden tears to leave. It was the first time she'd spoken about it with someone, out loud, and...well, her emotions were hard to control. 'It's been happening a lot, because we go to the same school except for Annabeth, and I just felt worse and worse every time anything happened, and I wanted a way out, and since I'm turning sixteen in five days, I…'

'I understand, sweetie,' Sally soothed. 'It's not a nice feeling, being alone. So, you did…?'

'I joined the Hunt,' Wisty blurted out. 'It's sort of like a trial run, and I decide whether I stay or leave after the solstice.' She lowered her head. 'Sorry, mom. I should've told you.'

'Well, you were always the one making her own decisions,' Sally comforted. 'From even when you were very young, and most of them turned out to be good ones. I do wish I could have heard from you before, but I'm sure you know what you're doing.' She gave her a look which said volumes. 'So, are you going to stay...or leave?'

'I wish I can tell you that I'm leaving, but I can't say for sure,' Wisty smiled sadly. 'The Hunt is...really great, mom. Artemis, obviously, Zoë, the lieutenant, Phoebe, who's like their oldest member from what I've heard...it just feels so much better than camp at the moment.' She shrugged. 'Who knows what might happen? We're rescuing Artemis on the quest. If it fails, the Hunt probably won't exist. I might change my opinion halfway through. There's a lot of uncertainties right now.'

'Is there a 'but' coming?'

Her smile turned rueful. 'Mom, you know me too well. _But,_ I'm leaning towards staying, at the moment.' She faltered for a second. 'I hope you understand…'

Sally sighed. 'Of course I do. You _are_ just a teenager, after all. These things are normal, except for you circumstances are much more extreme.' She gave her a hopeful look. 'If you decide to stay in the Hunt...will you come visit?'

'It's probably going to be busy,' Wisty said, but forestalled before her mother's face fell. 'But I'm sure Artemis will understand if I ask for time off occasionally.' She grinned. 'After all, my circumstances are extreme.'

She wanted to say more, but the door to her cabin opened without warning. Bianca poked her head in. 'Wisty!' She flushed when she noticed the Iris-message. 'Sorry, am I interrupting something?'

'No, not at all,' Wisty reassured the girl. 'What's up?'

'Everyone's ready,' Bianca said. 'They're waiting on the hill. Zoë wants to leave now, but it's not time yet, and if you need…' she gestured to the hovering hologram vaguely. 'I can tell her.'

Wisty nodded. 'Right. Tell her I'll be along in a few minutes.' Bianca nodded and ran away, closing the door a little too heavily, making Wisty wince.

'That was Bianca,' she explained to her mother. 'One of the demigods we found. She's on the quest.'

Sally raised an eyebrow. 'Interesting. She's new, isn't she?'

Wisty shrugged. 'Zoë has her reasons, and I understand them.'

'But you don't sound so sure,' Sally pointed out. She gave her an encouraging smile. 'Don't forget yourself, dear. Your instincts are usually spot-on. Don't be a follower; be a _leader.'_

Wisty nodded. Suddenly, the realization that this might be the last time she will ever speak to her mom, if the quest fails, hit her like a freight train, making it hard to breathe. She'd never had this sort of dilemma before, considering Sally's unknown status in her first quest and the abruptness of the second, and now that she actually had time to speak to her before it...she found herself at a loss of words when considering how to say goodbye.'

'I can tell what you're thinking, dear,' Sally gave her a reprimanding glance, even though it was clear she was thinking along the same lines. 'Remember, you're a fighter and a survivor. Don't ever assume the worst-'

'-because you'll never succeed,' Wisty finished. She wiped at the corner of her eyes. 'I know, mom. I…' Her voice cracked. 'I promise you I'll come back. Promise.'

Sally nodded. 'I know you will. Now, get going.' She made a shushing gesture with her fingers and swiped through the message. Wisty took a deep breath, calming herself down. She felt delightfully light and dreadfully heavy at the same time.

She did one last inventory check, making sure that she had everything she needed. Slipping on her backpack, she patted Riptide in her pocket. 'Time to get going, buddy.'

Before she headed off, she gave the Poseidon Cabin one last glance and murmured a final prayer.

* * *

Not many people came to see them off, which didn't exactly set a great mood. Wisty figured most people were probably still sleeping. Chiron came, and so did Beckendorf. Dionysus, despite being absent from yesterday's meeting, was surprisingly present and in a (relatively) good mood.

'Well, good luck, mandatory speech, blah, blah, blah,' he waved his hand dismissively. 'Hope at least some of you come back alive.' He stared at Thalia for a little too long, gave Wisty something as close to a genuine acknowledgment as she was ever going to get with a nod and officially dismissed them from the camp.

'How did you ever manage to get Dionysus to like you?' Thalia whispered as they piled into the van. 'He doesn't like _anybody.'_

'For once I agree,' Zoë nodded, ignoring Thalia's glare. 'It is most impressive.'

'I think you guys don't give him enough credit,' Wisty said. 'He cares. He just has a reputation to uphold.'

Argus the hundred-eyed security guard drove them out of campus in the van used for strawberry deliveries and long-distance quests. He stopped after they got within a few kilometers of Manhattan and handed the keys to Zoë. He didn't exactly talk, but the message was clear: _don't break my truck._

Zoë opted to drive, being the only one in the quest who could do it competently. Surprisingly, nobody argued, not even Thalia. Wisty sat at the back with her comrade-in-arms, while Bianca took the shotgun seat. Wisty didn't know how they never got caught by the police, because none of them looked anywhere close to the legal driving age, but she supposed underaged drivers weren't something officers looked particularly hard for on the I-95.

Nobody talked much, even though they ought to be discussing the prophecy. Zoë kept her eyes intently on the road, Bianca twiddled with her thumbs, and that left Wisty and Thalia to sit together in awkward silence. The other girl looked like she was about to speak for more than once during the ride, but she ultimately refrained from talking and Wisty was fine with that. She wanted some privacy for the inevitable talk they were going to have.

She managed to catch a few doses of sleep here and there, but always woke up to Bianca informing them of each state they entered. They were well into Maryland when Zoë finally decided to take a pit stop at a service station. They got some weird looks, but no one complained when they were refilling their gas. Wisty volunteered for drink duty and managed to tug Thalia along to the cafe before anyone else had a chance. This was the best chance for privacy they were going to get in the near future, and if the talk was happening, it needed to happen now. This stifling tension between them needed to end before it hindered the quest.

She even _generously_ offered to pay for the drinks by herself (Thalia didn't bring change) and talked the cafe worker into putting extra whipped cream on everyone's drink except for Zoë's triple espresso (because she disliked it, for some reason). Whilst waiting for the drinks, Wisty sidled up a glum-looking Thalia.

'Zoë drives better than you,' she offered, then winced. Not a great conversation starter.

Fortunately, Thalia took it well. 'She's going to get us arrested, driving. If anything, you look closer to sixteen than her.'

Wisty did have some experience with driving, but she wasn't so daring as to attempt to drive on a highway. 'She's good. She got us here ahead of time. I'd say that's good progress.'

'I guess so.' Thalia shifted from her leaning position against the wall. She tried for a smile, but Wisty could only pass it off as...well, a valiant effort. Evidently, the events during Capture the Flag weighed heavily on her mind. 'So, how's life with the Hunters?'

Wisty shrugged. She gave a quick peek at the counter. No sign of their drinks yet. 'I haven't decided yet, you know.'

Thalia gave her an unimpressed glance which said, _try convincing yourself first._ Wisty sighed.

'It's nice,' she relented. 'I haven't talked with all of them yet, but they seem like a tight bunch.' She thought back to her brief moments interacting with them. 'Phoebe's old. And nice. Ari loves gadgets. She's the one who invented their fart arrows.' She wrinkled her nose. 'There's a descendant of Poseidon in there as well, Aerwyna. She's from Roman times. Nice girl, a bit on the shy side, but apparently she's their second-best markswoman besides Zoë. Wish I had her ranged skills.' She glanced at Thalia. 'Zoë's a good person, you know.'

Thalia grimaced. 'She's pompous. And rude. And acts like she's better than everyone else.'

Wisty shrugged. 'Well, nobody's perfect, plus she's got some credentials to back it up. I'm not saying she's particularly nice, but she's a _good_ person, and I hope you don't let whatever happened between you two hinder the quest.'

Thalia scowled. 'We've got history. Unpleasant history.'

'I gathered that much.' Looked like Zoë's espresso was finished, but Wisty decided to hold off on collecting the drinks until everything was done. 'So? She said as much, but I think she was downplaying it. Did you meet her...on the run?'

Thalia nodded.

'With Annabeth and Luke?'

Another nod.

'You met the whole Hunt?'

Confirmation.

'She tried to recruit you,' Wisty guessed. 'And Annabeth, probably. But you didn't want to leave Luke behind.'

Thalia sighed. 'I was, like, seven. Luke was like, thirteen or fourteen. He was the big brother both of us needed. Almost like the parent we never had.' She smiled bitterly. 'I turned down their offer pretty rudely, and I guess that stung Zoë. She said some...pretty bad stuff about Luke. Said he'd betray us someday. Let us down.'

'He hasn't.' _So far. '_ A harsh thing to say to two seven-year-olds.

'Yeah,' Thalia agreed. Her voice held a steely edge to it. 'And he won't. Luke's never let me down, ever.'

Well, this didn't exactly go to plan. Wisty decided against sharing her suspicions about the son of Hermes. 'I hope so,' she instead said.

'Enough about me,' Thalia declared, obviously not wanting to talk about her past anymore. She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. Wisty studied her curiously.

'What are you doing?' she asked.

Thalia looked flushed. 'Well, I thought it'd be obvious. I'm trying to apologize.'

Ah. This was awkward. 'Right,' Wisty said dubiously. 'Sorry. It just looked more like you wanted to punch me.'

Thalia's blush darkened even further. 'Shut up,' she snapped. She took another deep breath. 'Look, I know I don't usually...well, apologize, and I know we're kind of still a little rocky-ish, but I'd just like to say...god, this is gonna sound stupid-'

Wisty's lips twitched. She was touched that Thalia was making the effort and all, but while watching the girl struggle was entertaining, it was far too awkward. 'I know what you're going to say. You were going to say 'sorry for almost killing you', weren't you?'

Thalia gave a stiff nod.

'Well, if you insist on doing it now, I'll accept it,' Wisty said, glancing at the counter for their drinks. The two hot chocolates had joined Zoë's espresso. 'But I don't think this is quite the moment for it.'

Thalia looked relieved. 'You're probably right,' she agreed.

'Sometime later, then.' Wisty gave her a pat on the shoulder, grinning. 'Don't stress it.'

Thalia grinned as well. 'Right,' she confirmed. 'Sometime _soon.'_

'I've got an order for...Wisty?' A cafe worker called out. 'A triple-espresso with no cream, a decaf latte double-whip and two hot chocolate double-whips!'

Wisty marched up to collect the drinks. They were in two separate cupholders and she was perilously trying to juggle one on each arm when Thalia appeared at her side. 'Here, let me help,' the girl said, taking the two hot chocolates. 'You paid. The least I can do is help you carry them.'

Wisty smiled. 'Thanks, Thalia.'

'No problem.'

* * *

After they'd arrived back at the van and distributed all the drinks to their respective orderers, the foursome crowded back into their seats and slowly took sips out from their cups as they concentrated more on warming their hands than the actual drink. Well, Bianca and Thalia were. Zoë and Wisty, not so much.

At some point, Wisty got bored with all the waiting. Her ADHD was acting up, and she hopped off the van to get some air. As she slid the door shut, something flashed in her eye, seemingly coming from the top of the truck. It was gone as soon as it had come, so swiftly that Wisty almost passed it off as a figment of her imagination. _Almost._ Something was there, and it had either snuck off incredibly stealthily or was invisible.

She sipped her hot chocolate nonchalantly. Glancing inside the truck, she saw all of her quest mates captivated by their drinks. She slowly backed away out of sight from the windows. Once she was sure she was far enough, she quietly uncapped Riptide. There was no reliable way to fend off an invisible threat, so she decided to just go for it and tapped the roof of the vehicle quietly. If her suspicions were correct, she wouldn't need to defend herself.

'If you're Annabeth,' she murmured, keeping her voice low so as to not disturb the girls inside the van, 'flash your hair.'

Nothing happened. She supposed Annabeth, or whoever it was, was smarter than that. The daughter of Athena might still be mad at her for choosing Thalia over her.

'Alright,' she said to the air with a faux casualness. 'Keep your secrets. If you're Annabeth, or here to help, I personally don't mind, but getting in our way will result in arrows in your _gluteus maximus_ from Zoë. If you're here to spy…' she shrugged. 'Same result, except switch out _getting in our way_ for _whatever you do._ You've been warned, and I'll be keeping an eye out.'

* * *

Zoë glanced at her quizzically as she climbed back into the van. 'Was that thee talking?'

Wisty frowned convincingly. 'Talking? I didn't hear any talking.'

Zoë gave her a long look, but didn't pursue it further. Wisty strapped on her seatbelt and settled into her seat. 'Let's get going,' she said.

Zoë turned the ignition key, and the truck roared to life again. Soon, they were back on the highway towards...wherever Zoë thinks they should go. They really ought to talk about the prophecy soon.

'Get some sleep,' Zoë said. As if on queue, Bianca yawned. So did Thalia. Wisty hid a chuckle.

'Good idea,' she agreed. 'We've got a long way to go.'

'I still don't know where we're going,' Thalia grumbled, but settled back into a more comfortable position and closed her eyes. 'Would be nice to have some information.'

Wisty gave a pointed glance at Zoë, who ignored it. She sighed. 'I don't know either,' she said. 'But if we're going west, and it's in America, then I'd assume somewhere near the coast. So probably California.'

She pretended not to see Zoë's expression sour. She didn't understand why the lieutenant was being so uptight about information. Thalia opened one eye. 'That's where Annabeth lived,' she mumbled half-coherently.

Wisty's lips twitched. 'Go to sleep, Thalia.'

'You go to sleep.'

'I slept before our break. You look like...you're already asleep,' Wisty finished. She rolled her eyes. 'Bianca…? She's out too.' She looked at a stone-faced Zoë. 'We _are_ going to California, aren't we?'

Zoë neither confirmed nor denied her statement. 'You need to share some information,' Wisty insisted. 'The rest of us don't want to waltz into a fight we don't know anything about.'

Zoë again stayed silent. Defeated, Wisty sank back into her seat. If information wasn't going to be distributed, she might as well get some more rest.

She almost fell asleep save for a voice to her left. 'I agree.'

'For Poseidon's sake, Thalia, go to sleep!'


	7. Skeletal Surprise

**6**

After a few hours, Wisty noticed Zoë's head start to droop, so she offered to take the wheel. How hard could driving on a highway be? Zoë didn't relent for at least another half hour, but eventually she conceded after Wisty reminded her that they didn't want to crash their only method of transport.

'I will not crash,' the lieutenant had grumbled.

'Better safe than sorry,' Wisty responded cheekily. 'You are old, after all.'

Driving fast was not very difficult, as it turned out. Traffic was average, not so congested that they had to inch along but not so clear that everyone broke the speed limit. Wisty weaved left and right in the lanes of the I-95, trying to move as quickly as possible. They had mere days until the Winter Solstice, and she preferred to be comfortably ahead of schedule rather than scrambling for time. It earned her some annoyed honks from drivers, which she tried to ignore. She deserved them, after all.

'If anyone's listening, I'm merging onto the I-70. It goes west.' Nobody responded, so Wisty flicked on the right blinkers and prepared to switch to the exit lane. As she performed the standard head check, a familiar-looking van a few hundred feet behind them caught her eyes, one she'd seen several times, almost as if it was following them.

She shrugged. Probably just a car going in the same direction. Though there was something odd about the passengers in it, but she couldn't get a good enough look...

The exit was a mere few meters away when realization struck. The rearview mirror provided a must better view of the van...good enough to stare straight into the hollow eye sockets of its driver. She caught sight of another in the shotgun seat and assumed at least a few more in the truck's separate main body, wearing tattered grey military uniform and carrying rifles which looked extremely professional and would probably hurt like Hades.

Also, they were a lot closer now. As in, within effective shooting range closer.

'Guys,' she said tightly, 'we've got a problem.'

Bianca didn't respond. Neither did Thalia. Both were dead asleep. Only Zoë's eyes opened groggily. Behind them, the skeleton in the shotgun seat aimed its rifle straight at Wisty.

' _Hold on!'_ She swerved as shots rang out from behind them, piling Zoë onto Thalia, who's eyes snapped open in surprise. All around them, cars started to swerve and crash as they tried to escape the shooters. Wisty scowled as she was forced to sail past the exit she planned to take. 'Are these windows bulletproof?'

'What-'

' _Duck!'_ Wisty shook Bianca's shoulder with one hand while desperately controlling the wheel with the other. The girl flinched awake. All four of them instinctively ducked down as bullets impacted against the steel back doors of the van. 'At least two skeleton warriors in that truck behind us, probably more. They've got rifles!'

'What?' Thalia demanded, risking a look over her seat. 'I thought we were dealing with Ancient Greek things!'

'Typical America,' Zoë scowled. 'Everyone has guns and no one uses it for good.'

Wisty snorted. 'Not exactly the time to debate politics. Get back down!' A volley of bullets shattered holes into the back and front windows of the car. Beside her, curled up in fetal position, Bianca flinched. Wisty's knuckles were white from clenching the wheel tightly. 'Guess these windows _aren't_ bulletproof!'

Zoë summoned her bow and notched an arrow. 'No!' Wisty snapped. 'They have guns!' The lieutenant got up anyway, firing an arrow at the truck. Wisty saw it penetrate the windshield but stick harmlessly into a skull. Before she could get back down, a bullet whistled through the air. Zoë cried out in pain, her right shoulder jerking backward violently as she fell hard against the backseat.

'They are _spartoi,'_ she groaned, clutching her shoulder in agony as blood seeped through her fingers. Her teeth were gritted so tightly it was a remarkable feat to form coherent sounds. 'Born from the teeth of Ares's sacred dragon. None of our weapons will do any good against them.'

'That's great to hear.' Wisty squeezed in between two cars into the emergency lane and rocketed down the freeway. 'Thalia, ambrosia and nectar in my bag near Zoë's feet, and also bandages. So what? We try to lose them in traffic?'

'What? You want me to - oh, _fine,'_ Thalia dove down for the bag and brought out a flask of nectar. Zoë's face contorted painfully as she allowed the girl to pour the godly drink onto her wound.

'In the myths, Jason defeated them by throwing a rock. The _spartoi_ killed each other, as they - _ah!_ \- thought one of their own threw it to kill the others,' she said, grunting in pain. 'Take the bullet out.'

Thalia's expression morphed into a horrified stare. 'Excuse me? I'm not-'

' _Take it out!'_ Zoë snapped. 'It is made of celestial bronze, potentially lethal if left in the body. Yes, I suppose we will have to lose them in traffic.'

'Traffic not dense enough to lose them in!' Wisty swerved as another storm of bullets clanged against the back of the van. 'I'm exiting the highway the next chance I get.' She glanced at Bianca, still curled up and without cover save for the vulnerable back of the seat. The girl was trembling in fear. 'Thalia, give Bianca your shield.'

'A little busy here! Ew, ew, ew, _ew_!' Wisty averted her eyes from the rearview mirror and tuned out Zoë's anguished shout as Thalia dug the bullet out of her shoulder with her fingers. She slipped off her bracelet and threw it over the seat. Wisty raised a hand and caught it instinctively. Not taking her eyes off the road, she gave it to Bianca, who grabbed it jerkily. Her breaths came in quick gasps.

'Put it on,' she told the near-hyperventilating girl. 'Thalia, how do you summon it?'

'Just think about the shield.' The daughter of Zeus was bandaging Zoë's wound.

'Do what she said,' Wisty instructed. 'Then hold it against the seat. It should stop all the bullets.'

Shakily, Bianca held the bracelet against the seat. 'It's not working.'

Wisty maneuvered between two impossibly close cars, the van scratching paint off the front of one as they screeched in front of them. 'Concentrate. Its name's Aegis. Think about it expanding.'

Bianca looked like she was trying, but failing miserably to focus. 'Think about Nico. Think about how much he needs you to survive. Block out the gunshots, block out everything, and then _think_ about the shield as hard as you can.'

The young girl took a deep breath. 'I can do this.'

'Yes, you can. I made a promise to Nico that you'll be back, _alive._ Don't break my promise. Don't break his heart.' Wisty tried to nod encouragingly, but it was difficult to do while driving and dodging bullets. One still grazed her arm as she twisted the wheel forcefully, making her jerk it and almost crash into the side fence, but the rearview indicated that they had put a little bit of space between them and the _spartoi._ That, at least, was good news.

A series of clicks and a resounding _shink_ told her the girl had been successful. Wisty breathed a sigh of relief. 'Good job,' she said. 'Zoë, next exit is for Washington.'

She could see in the rearview mirror Zoë's resigned expression. The lieutenant was clutching her shoulder to stem the bleeding. Her bandages were already starting to be soaked through. 'I suppose it will do us no good to stay on the highway. We stand a better chance of losing them in the city.'

'I'm taking it. Thalia, if there aren't cars near it, one of these lightning bolts you threw on me would do nicely on that van.'

Thalia scowled at her. A few moments later, the sky flashed, and the following explosion which shook the ground finally allowed Wisty to breathe again. 'Do _spartoi_ die from lightning, or is it too much to hope for?'

Zoë shook her head, but even then, a small smile played on her lips. 'They will regroup, but thee and Thalia have bought us a few precious hours. Our best course of action is still the city. We can restock and plan our next steps.' She reached forwards and gave Wisty an approving pat on the shoulder. 'You did well.'

'You should thank Thalia,' Wisty smirked mischievously, but the compliment still warmed her heart. Finally relaxed enough to free up one hand, she gave Bianca a similar acknowledgment. 'Nicely done, Bianca.'

The girl shook her head. Her eyes brimmed with tears. 'I was useless,' she sniffled. 'I could barely summon a shield. What will I do in a real fight?'

'Well, that was a situation in which you really couldn't do anything other than that, so don't beat yourself up.' But Wisty still shot Zoë a worried glance. Bianca was essentially a civilian dragged unwillingly into a world of monsters, blood, and death. How could she stand against forces like the _spartoi_ without any training? Wisty didn't want to find out the hard way.

'Wisty,' Thalia said. She sounded tense. 'Your arm's bleeding.'

It was true. The part of the sleeve covering her right bicep had a long gash torn into it, revealing a similar-sized wound on her skin, with red still trickling out at a steady pace. Now that it was mentioned, she could feel warm blood rolling down her arm. 'It's not too bad. I'll find us a place to sit down, then treat it.'

'Wisteria,' Zoë urged. 'It _is_ bad. I did not notice it before. Your sleeve is soaked.'

'Oh...is it?' It was, a huge blossom of dark red still spreading at a rate which ought to worry her, but she somehow wasn't. 'It does look kind of bad.

A wave of dizziness washed over her. She managed to pull over at a curb. 'Zoë, I guess you're driving again.'

'She's in shock. Give her ambrosia and nectar!' Zoë's voice, but she sounded distant. Wisty slumped against the seat. She wanted to take a nap.

She closed her eyes. Something prodded her lips. She opened her mouth instinctively. A liquid trickled into it, tasting like…

'Mom's cookies,' she sighed blissfully. 'Ok, nap time.'

She lost consciousness.

* * *

She saw Rhea standing in Tartarus. The Titaness stood tall, but she seemed tense, her voice strained as she conversed with someone or something. Wisty could only pick out a few words: _physical, sacrifice, Atlas, museum in Washington._

She tried to call out, but her voice failed her. She felt insubstantial and definitely not in control. Rhea turned, her expression morphing into one of shock when she noticed Wisty. Before she could do anything, Wisty was whisked away.

She was back on Mount Othrys, alone but for a figure struggling to stand against a seemingly invisible force. Her silver clothing was in tatters, and her usually stunning face was streaked with sweat and ichor, the golden blood of immortals still seeping out of newly opened gashes. Her two feet, bare, bruised, and bleeding, were restrained by celestial bronze chains to black rocks.

She looked up, and Wisty found herself staring into familiar, silver irises. 'Artemis,' she gasped. Her voice did not fail this time.

'Wisteria?' The goddess breathed. 'Are you here?'

'Yes - no - just hold on, we're coming for you!' No longer feeling ethereal, she rushed forwards and tried to slash at the chains. Only then did she realize Riptide was not with her.

'I see. 'Tis merely a dream,' Artemis groaned. 'You will not be able to affect the world physically. Just remember - it is a trap! Beware!'

* * *

She woke with start, then winced as pain shot up her arm.

She was inside the van. Someone had set her down lying on the backseat and covered her with a thick blanket. Her entire upper right arm was covered by fresh bandages.

She flexed her arm experimentally. Slow movement seemed to bring little pain, but agony tore through her entire side as soon as she upped the pace. No broken bones as far as she could tell, so it should heal in a day or so with some nectar, ambrosia and water...and Rhea. Still, her dominant side was going to be hindered until at least tomorrow. Hopefully her resident deity can somehow speed up the process, but Wisty wasn't so sure about the Titaness's allegiance after that dream. What did she mean by these words? Who was she talking to?

No one else was in the van with her. A glance out the window saw her quest mates seated around a cafe table with croissants and hot drinks. She slid the car door open with her uninjured arm and stepped out. 'No croissants for a starving girl who steered you all through a car chase with a horrible arm wound? I see how it is.'

'Wisty!' Bianca ran towards her and gave her a hug. Wisty winced as pain shot up her arm but reciprocated nonetheless. 'You're awake!'

'It would appear so,' she said amusedly. ' _Ow_. Watch the arm, Bianca.'

'Sorry!' Bianca hastily let her go. 'It's just that...well, I think you almost died.'

'You did,' Thalia confirmed, but she was smiling. 'Glad to see you awake, Kelp Head.'

Wisty frowned. 'It wasn't that bad, was it?' she asked. 'Just an arm wound.'

'It hit the brachial artery,' Zoë said. 'You almost died of blood loss. Fortunately, Bianca and I managed to take the bullet out and stabilize thee. Apparently she learned first aid somewhere.'

'Oh.' She was surprised, but pleasantly so. 'Thanks, Zoë. Thanks, Bianca.' The girl blushed.

'It was nothing,' she said. 'You drove us through that mess in the first place.'

'You're being humble,' Wisty grinned. 'Still, it was just a graze, wasn't it?' Addressing Zoë, she patted her bandages. 'Couldn't have hit an artery.'

'There were two wounds,' the lieutenant said. 'One was the graze. Deep gash but ultimately insignificant. The other one was a bullet hole almost clean through thy arm.'

'That...would have hit an artery.' Wisty's mouth felt dry. She hadn't even felt it. 'Ouch.'

Zoë nodded. ' _Ouch_ indeed. Fortunately, it didn't travel through the blood vessel, merely grazed it, but without quick intervention it would have been very dangerous. You lost a great amount of blood. Count thyself lucky the _spartoi_ did not hit your unprotected back as well. I imagine they were not used to modern weapons.'

'I'll count myself lucky if this hole heals by tomorrow,' Wisty said. 'What about you, Zoë? How's the shoulder?'

'Healed already,' she said. 'It has been fifteen hours since thee passed out. That was around sunset yesterday. It is currently nine in the morning.

'What?' Wisty scowled at the group collectively. 'You should've kept going with me unconscious.'

'Zoë had an injured shoulder and neither I nor Bianca knew how to drive,' Thalia said. 'Plus, we were tired.'

'Plus you had a fresh, almost-deadly hole in your arm which definitely wouldn't have liked being bumped around in the back of a van,' Bianca added. 'So we decided to set up a watch rotation and sleep.'

Thalia held up a hand. 'Okay, okay, she almost died, we all know. Enough talk about potentially fatal wounds.' She held up a takeaway bag from the cafe and a coffee cup and dangled it in front of Wisty. 'Who said we didn't get croissants for you? And your mocha as well. I figured you'd need some caffeine, and you just love hot chocolate too much. We just bought it too, so it's still hot.'

If eyes could physically light up, Wisty was sure hers would have. 'You're a godsend, Thalia. No pun intended.'

'Mix in some nectar,' Bianca suggested.

Thalia brought out the flask. Wisty shook it. 'We're running low. I'm fine. Don't waste it.'

'I have two more flasks,' Zoë said.

'In that case, I'll help myself.' Wisty dragged a chair over and started mixing her drink. 'Where are we, anyways?'

'We're in D.C.,' Thalia replied. 'In some rocket museum.'

'The National Air and Space Museum,' Bianca supplied.

'Museum?' Wisty felt a chill go down her back. 'In Washington?'

'Yes.' Zoë frowned. 'Is there a problem?'

'Hopefully not,' Wisty said, glancing around. 'But we should check around.' Answering questioning looks, she added, 'I had a dream.'

'We should move,' the lieutenant disagreed. 'Time is essential. The _spartoi_ will be back soon.'

'Thirty minutes,' Wisty insisted. 'We don't want to miss anything important. Besides, we need to discuss the prophecy.'

Zoë scowled at her. 'We will discuss,' she said stiffly. 'We can do so on the van.'

'Come on,' Thalia groaned, 'it's just half an hour. I've never been to this place.' She waved her hands in the general direction of the exhibit. 'There's _rockets_ in there. I'm not missing that.'

Bianca was munching on the last bits of her croissant, but she nodded in agreement. Zoë sighed, and glared at all three of them.'

'It appears that you all need to set thy priorities straight,' she grumbled. 'But very well. Make it quick.'

* * *

'I've been thinking about the prophecy,' Wisty started. 'Bianca hasn't heard it yet. I've written it down in my notebook. Here.' She handed it to Bianca for her to read.

The quartet was walking through the museum. It was relatively unpacked except for a few stragglers and a school group. Even then, Wisty felt constantly on edge. She couldn't swing her right arm freely, but her left hand was constantly caressing the hilt of her new hunting knife. The mostly empty atmosphere only served to enhance her uneasiness.

Thalia snorted. The daughter of Zeus was temporarily separated from the group as she checked out a plane model. 'Who the heck brings notebooks on quests?'

Wisty raised an eyebrow. 'People more organized than all of you, it seems. And who the hell still says heck?'

'Prophecy,' Zoë interjected. The lieutenant still looked miffed after being outvoted by three votes to one. Wisty nodded.

'Right. Prophecy. First line. Pretty obvious. Except we don't have a fifth, so we should expect another person to show up.' _Maybe Annabeth…? Hopefully she's fine after the car chase._

'Agreed,' Zoë said. 'Prophecies do not lie.'

'They're tricky bastards though,' Thalia scowled. 'Next line. One lost in the land without rain. Any ideas?'

'I've checked the map,' Wisty said. 'Not a lot of deserts near us. Closest one's probably in New Mexico.'

'Avoid them,' Bianca suggested. Wisty shrugged.

'We'll try our best, but prophecies play out regardless of what we do. It is almost certain that we will lose one in a land without rain.' That sounded overly pessimistic to her, so she hastened to add, 'The line itself sounds ominous, but _lost_ doesn't necessarily mean _dead.'_

'No one was thinking about dying until you said that,' Thalia said.

Wisty shrugged. 'Good to be prepared.'

'You're prepared to die?' Thalia asked incredulously. Wisty gave her an odd look.

'There's a pretty good chance,' she said. 'I already almost died once. It's why I say goodbye to my mom every time.' She gave all three of her quest mates a glance. 'What I'm _not_ prepared for is attending your funerals, so try not to die, please?'

'Yeah. Good advice.' Bianca looked like she was about to be sick. Wisty gave her an apologetic look.

'Moving on,' she said. 'Next line. Beware the…' _Oh, wait…_

'Wisty?' Thalia prompted.

'Right. Sorry.' She cleared her throat. _'Beware the Queen who raises her sails._ Possibly Hera, but I don't see how she's going to get involved yet.' Exchanging a glance with Zoë, she continued, 'but we should be careful around...peacocks, I guess.'

Thalia narrowed her eyes. 'You don't sound sure.' Wisty thought she heard a hint of suspicion in her voice.

'As she should,' Zoë snapped, saving her. 'Nothing is certain about a prophecy.'

'Exactly,' Wisty sent Zoë a grateful look. 'Plus, _raising her sails_ isn't necessarily negative. Maybe this queen is raising her sails to help us.'

'I would not bank on it,' Zoë muttered just loud enough for Wisty to hear. 'Both Hera and _her_ are notoriously guileful.'

Wisty ignored her. 'Bianca, what's the next line?'

' _As the -_ uh - _Bane of Olympus shows the trail,'_ Bianca read. 'No idea.'

'The Bane of Olympus. I guess only Zoë would know about this one.' Wisty poked the lieutenant. 'Ideas, Officer?'

'I am not your _officer,'_ Zoë grumbled. ' _The Bane of Olympus_ is hardly indicative of anything. For all we know, thee or Thalia could be it. It might be some powerful monster, a weapon, or a magical item of some kind. I say we do not waste time over this line.'

Wisty shrugged. 'Ok. No use wondering about something we have no idea about. But Zoë, keep thinking about it. It's meant to show us the trail. Next line...campers and Hunters, I'm assuming we've done that already. _Unlikely reunions warble their united defiance._ This sounds important. Anyone here have someone they haven't seen in a long time?'

Thalia shrugged, but it seemed slightly forced. 'Not really.'

Bianca shook her head. 'Unless I'm forgetting something. My memory isn't that good.'

'Unless someone from my school randomly shows up I don't have anyone,' Wisty said. 'That leaves you, Zoë.'

'I have lived a long life,' Zoë said darkly. 'I have many enemies and few friends apart from the Hunt.'

'I'd like everyone to be candid,' Wisty warned, 'as the more we hide, the less chance we have of surviving.'

'Curiosity killed the cat,' Zoë said.

Wisty scowled at her. 'If I'm going to die I'd like to die knowing what's up.'

Bianca glared at her. 'Can we stop talking about dying?'

'This has been a great discussion,' Thalia said sarcastically. 'So much progress.'

Wisty shot her a look. 'At least Bianca got to read it, and we established that we should expect another quest member. Sorry, Bianca. Next line?'

'You're not going to like this one.' Bianca said nervously. 'It doesn't sound good. _The violet blossom bears the Titan's curse.'_

The group was silent for a moment.

'Well,' Thalia said. ' _That's_ indicative.'

'No shi— _ahem,_ no kidding,' Wisty corrected hastily. Thalia raised an eyebrow.

'Y'know, if I'm gonna bear a damn Titan's curse I'd be swearing,' the girl said. 'Fu—'

'Let's stay on topic,' Wisty interrupted. ' _Violet blossom_ is almost certainly me. Wisteria flowers are purple. I don't know what a Titan's Curse is, but let's hope it isn't something bad.'

'It is,' Zoë said, at the same time as Thalia, who said 'it definitely is'.

'Zoë, you know what it is?' Wisty punched Thalia on the arm. 'Thalia, shut up.'

'Yes. I will not tell thee because it sounds impossible. It is painful. Not necessarily fatal.'

'At least I won't die,' Wisty grumbled. 'Last line. I remember this one. _While nightingales trill their final verse.'_

'Lots of references to singing,' Bianca pointed out. 'Warble, trill, verse.'

'Points at a group of multiple people or things which can sing,' Wisty agreed. 'Nightingales is...oddly specific.'

'Perhaps it is simply because nightingales can sing,' Zoë suggested, but she sounded half-hearted. Wisty glanced at her.

'Maybe,' she said. 'Well, that's it. How we all feeling?'

Nobody responded. Zoë was as stoic as ever. Thalia rolled her eyes, but her clenched fist gave her nerves away. Wisty wasn't even sure the daughter of Zeus was aware that they were clenched. Bianca shuffled on her feet, clearly uncomfortable. Wisty sighed.

'I don't mean to damage the morale further,' she began, 'but everyone should be prepared to face deaths on this quest. When - _if_ the time comes, don't let the sacrifices of others drag you down.'

'She is right,' Zoë said. 'Hear it from me. I have witnessed the deaths of dozens of my Hunters over my time in the Hunt. I would not be here today if not for their sacrifices. Do not let your comrade's death be in vain.'

Everyone was silent for a moment.

'Well,' Thalia said. 'On that cheerful note, let's get the heck out of here. We couldn't find anything—'

Some sixth sense warned her of the following few moments. Instinctively, Wisty braced herself. Not a moment later, an invisible force slammed into her left shoulder, causing her to stumble back. Recovering quickly, she had her knife drawn and pointed at her assailant. So was Zoë's nocked arrow, Thalia's spear, and Bianca's knife.

'Woah,' the now visible figure said. His head was lowered, in exhaustion or to conceal his face, Wisty didn't know. 'Relax. On the same side. I thought we were friends, guys.'

'Friends?' She narrowed her eyes. 'Who in the name of Hades are...wait…'

'Yeah,' he chuckled, wincing as he did so. 'It's me.' Dirty and unkempt, ash-blonde hair tangled and dulled by dirt and dust, the newcomer raised his head for the first time. 'I look a bit different, huh?'

'Oh my god,' Thalia gasped. 'Luke?'

He grinned tiredly. 'Hey, Thals. Long time no see.'

'You look like...well, shit.'

Wisty couldn't help but agree. Luke's already scarred face was marred further by freshly opened cuts and recent bruises, and his orange camp shirt and jeans were both blackened and tattered to the point of unrecognizable, hanging loosely off his thin frame. Wisty didn't remember Luke to be this skinny. Holding Annabeth's Yankee baseball cap loosely in his right hand, his posture was slumped and he had dark bags under his eyes. Looking for all the world like he had no energy at all, the son of Hermes seemed a shadow of his usual mischievous self.

She sheathed her knife. So did Thalia, shrinking her spear back into its canister form. Bianca hesitantly lowered her aim from his head but still had the arrow nocked. Only Zoë still had her weapon pointed at him, but even she looked indecisive. 'Luke Castellan,' she said distastefully. 'How did you escape the Titans' incarceration?'

'Good morning to you too, Nightshade. You know,' he noticed everyone's faces and tried for a smile, but winced as it strained the wounds on his face, 'as nice as my face is to look at, I think Thalia's right. I've got some things you all need to hear, but getting the hellout of here takes priority, because there's a group of unkillable skeletons _very, very close behind.'_


	8. Castellan

**7**

Wisty disliked unkillable skeletons.

Yes, perhaps redundant, as the statement undoubtedly held true for everyone else, but it needed to be emphasized nonetheless. She _hated_ unkillable skeletons, especially ones trying to kill her friends.

'We have to go then,' she said. 'Luke, how far?'

'Across the street,' he said. 'Probably already here. The General dude grew them with some dragon teeth.'

'The _General?'_ Zoë whipped around so quickly Wisty thought she might get whiplash. 'He is here? Impossible. You lie!'

'Why would I lie about unkillable skeletons?' Luke asked snappishly. ' _I'm_ the one they're trying to kill. They caught my scent.' He pointed to a spot beneath his right armpit. A chunk of fabric had been ripped off from his shirt. 'Can we get going, _please?'_

'Wait,' Wisty held up a hand. Something wasn't right. 'He grew them? Just then?'

'Wisty,' Bianca swallowed nervously. 'Maybe talk later?'

'Yeah, just then,' Luke said. 'Why?'

'We were chased on the highway by skeletons,' Wisty frowned. 'But if they just grew them, then…'

Suddenly, screams sounded from the entrance. Everyone's heads snapped around to see a crowd of museum visitors scattering from the door with visible panic on their faces. No skeletons were in sight yet, but Wisty knew they were here. Riptide sprung to life with a _shink,_ even though she knew it would be useless against the skeletons. Zoë and Bianca unsheathed their knives, although Bianca's hand was trembling. Thalia's spear crackled with electricity. Luke, despite his exhaustion, brought out Backbiter.

'They're here,' he said. 'We should run.'

'We can't outrun them,' Wisty said. The crowd of shrieking, panicking civilians would hinder their progress. 'We can get tired. They can't. Our only hope is the truck.'

'Its all the way at the cafe parking,' Zoë scowled. 'We will not make it.'

Wisty looked around. She was out of ideas, and from the looks on their faces, everyone else was too. They could hear faint clattering from the doorway. Around them, the crowd pushed and shoved and generally panicked while causing mass panic running away.

'Well,' she straightened. 'I guess we fight.'

'How?' Thalia asked.

'If we can't kill them, we can try disabling them. A few bones sawed in half can't feel too good. When they're down, we run for it.' Wisty tightened her grip on Riptide. 'Everyone got it? Actually—scratch that, here they come!'

They met the charge head-on. These skeletons were definitely a different batch from the ones who put a hole through her arm. Instead of grey uniforms, they had black ones streaked with gold on the sleeves - pretty damn fancy for a bunch of dead people - and their rifles had additional bayonets attached, so they could always stab them if bullets ran out. There were five of them in total - though Wisty suspected they were just the ones who found them first. Every one of the quest members - including Luke - took on one of the skeletons. Wisty took the leftmost one, barely pivoted past a bullet and aimed a flat-bladed smash against the skeleton's ribcage. Hopefully it would break some of the bones—

'Ah!' Her shoulder jerked forwards, her injured arm - which she had completely forgotten about - flaring with sudden, mind-shattering agony. Instead of hitting the skeleton, she tumbled onto the ground, barely managing to cushion her fall with her left arm and rolling desperately aside just in time to avoid a bayonet stab. Her vision swam with pain, and there was no way she could have avoided the follow-up stab if Luke hadn't intercepted the blade.

He grunted as he pushed the skeleton back and whacked it with the hilt of his sword, sending it crashing into an airplane model. The escaping crowd let out a collective _whoa_ and scattered away from the collapsing display. Wisty groaned in fetal position, clutching her now aggravated wound, Riptide falling out of her weakening hand.

'Wisty!' Bianca screamed.

'No!' Zoë yelled. Thalia gave her skeleton a kick in the knee, and all three of them scrambled towards Luke, who despite his incredible swordsmanship was fighting for his life - and hers - against two skeletons at once. Together, the four formed a defensive ring around Wisty, who struggled to rise. Every time she moved a muscle, her whole right side groaned in pain. Her fresh bandages were already getting soaked by profuse bleeding.

'Don't move, Wisteria,' Zoë ordered. 'We have it under control.'

'Like Hades you do,' Wisty muttered, managing to haul herself to one knee. 'It's four against five, and they have bullets. I can fight.'

'Stay down!' her lieutenant snapped. 'You don't have a weapon. That is a direct _order!'_

Luke glanced back for an instant, his eyes narrowed with confusion. 'A direct order? Why would Wisty obey you?'

'I can fight.' Wisty lifted herself onto her feet. Her entire upper body felt lit on fire, and sweat dripped into her eyes from her forehead, but she ignored them both, unsheathing her hunting knife. 'I have a knife.'

'Wisty?' Luke hesitated for a fraction of a second, but that was enough. The _spartus_ broke through his guard, and he stumbled back, winded, as the skeleton kicked him in the stomach. The skeleton readied its bayonet for the killing blow. The hollow eye sockets on its skull seemed to gleam with malicious glee.

Thalia screamed. Zoë notched an arrow, but she wasn't going to make it. Wisty staggered towards the skeleton hopelessly. Luke's eyes were wide and feral as he faced real, imminent death.

Then, many things happened at once.

A roar sounded from the opposite doorway, deeper into the exhibit. The crowd close to it screamed with renewed vigor and began to flee in the opposite direction. The skeleton on Luke readied its bayonet, froze, and exploded into black flames, as did three others. The remaining one looked at where his comrades were, and if it could form expressions, Wisty would swear it was incredulous. Then it scrambled away towards the entrance.

'Uh…' Luke blinked. 'What?'

'For once, I agree,' Zoë said. 'What?'

Everyone glanced towards Bianca, who had her arms out and her palms perpendicular, as if she was pushing something. There were three smoking piles of ash where she was aiming at. The girl herself looked bewildered. 'I - I don't know what I did,' she stammered. 'What-'

'Whatever you did, do it more,' Zoë said. 'Now, we have to move. One got away, it will be calling for its friends. Wisty, can you walk?'

Wisty smiled weakly. 'Never felt better in my life.'

'Good, because we've got more problems.' Luke pointed towards the rear end of the exhibit, where the roar came from. 'We're kind of dead.'

Wisty followed his finger. 'Oh, for Poseidon's sake…'

A gigantic lion was there, casually swatting aside people like they were flies. That is, until an arrow bounced off its pelt harmlessly. It paused, and turned slowly, its beady eyes glowing red.

Zoë scowled at Bianca, who looked sheepish. 'Oops.'

'The Nemean Lion,' the lieutenant said, ignoring Bianca. She glared at the lion as if she had a personal feud with it. 'Its pelt is impenetrable. The only weak points are its eyes and the inside of its mouth.'

The lion roared at them. Wisty swayed on her feet. 'Hey guys. Do you guys have water?'

'To the cafe,' Zoë ordered, looking at her concernedly. 'We can slow the lion down at the doorway - it's too big to fit through. There, we can get Wisty some water and stabilize her wound...hopefully.'

Luke took off running. 'Start running!' he snapped. 'That lion looks very damn hungry!'

Zoë took a second to scowl at his back. Then they started running as well, Thalia and Bianca holding up the rear and Wisty, with her uninjured arm around Zoë, hobbling along as quickly as she could. Her world warped and spun, but hopefully the lieutenant wouldn't let her smack into a wall.

She risked a glance back. The lion was right on their heels. She tried to go faster, and maybe it was her imagination, but the pain in her shoulder lessened just a fraction, allowing her some clarity of thought. She pumped her legs as fast as she could.

It probably saved their lives, as they made it out of the doorway just as the lion smacked headfirst into the top of the wall. Pieces of drywall on the ceiling tumbled down from the lion's impact. The trio didn't waste any time admiring its brutality, instead scrambling away from the weakening building as quickly as possible, but in her confused state, Wisty thought the sheer force of the lion was kind of commendable.

They arrived at the cafe just as Luke sprinted towards them with a sinkful of water - yes, a whole sink, and it wasn't her imagination either - and plopped it down. Zoë stared at Luke with grudging approval.

'How did you manage to get a whole sink out?' Bianca wondered. Wisty collapsed onto the ground.

Luke glanced at the new demigod momentarily, already working on ripping off Wisty's bandages. 'I cut it out,' he stated simply.

'She should drink it,' Zoë said. 'It would absorb into her system faster.'

'No. Pour,' Wisty muttered. The pain was back in full force, whatever thing that was dulling it now absent or ineffective. 'Doesn't work like nectar. Affected area works best.'

Luke didn't even look up. 'I think I know a little more about her than you do.'

Zoë didn't respond. Luke lifted the sink up and started pouring the contents over Wisty's shoulder, careful to not miss any water. Immediately, the pain lessened significantly, and Wisty could feel the wound stop bleeding and start closing up. Already becoming impatient, she snatched the sink away from Luke and dumped it over her head, sighing in relief as her headache vanished.

'I'm good,' she smiled at Luke gratefully. 'Thanks, Luke.'

'Don't worry about it,' Luke patted her. 'I've got your back.' He glanced at her knife, still clutched tightly in her left hand. 'Even if you're not a camper anymore.'

Wisty tried not to wince.

'Let us go,' Zoë interrupted. She was staring back at the exhibit. The lion was still headbutting the wall and apparently making good progress, if the cracks through the ceiling were any indication. 'We've no time to waste.'

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, making everyone flinch. The lion stopped headbutting the doorway and turned around, growling and snorting in anger. With a ferocious roar, it leaped towards whoever had shot it. The sound of panicked clattering and enraged roaring filled the entire surrounding area.

All five of them were silent for a few moments, watching the lion disassemble skeletons like they were made of Legos. Wisty felt unconcerned - gleeful, even - that the gun-wielding undead were being clawed apart. If she didn't have to deal with them for the rest of her life, she would be fine with that.

Finally, someone broke the silence. It was Thalia. 'What...just...happened?'

'I think,' Luke enunciated carefully, as if what he was going to say was too good to be true, 'that a skeleton just accidentally shot the Nemean fucking Lion.'

* * *

Zoë drove. They were crossing the Potomac when the lieutenant heard the helicopter. Then they all saw it: a sleek, black military model, just like the one from Westover - and it was coming straight for them.

'Ditch the van,' Wisty said, chewing on a few ambrosia squares. The water might have stabilized her, but her entire right arm remained effectively useless. 'They're targeting it.'

'Argus said not to damage the van,' Thalia said.

'I say we don't get shot at. _Again,'_ Wisty rebutted. 'Once was enough.

'Hold on,' Luke held up a hand. 'You got shot?'

'Not important,' Wisty dismissed. 'Where do you think the hole in my arm came from?'

'How the hell did the General get mortals to work for him, anyways?' Thalia sounded frustrated. 'We can't even count on the police to stop it, because it looks like a military bird.'

'Mercenaries,' Zoë said bitterly. 'Some are enhanced. Most are just normal mortals. But they will do almost anything for money.'

'Including working alongside monsters,' Thalia noted. 'Great.' The helicopter was gaining on them - hardly surprising, since they were stuck in D.C. traffic. 'Hey, dad? A lightning bolt would be nice, right about now.'

Nothing happened. The sky was gray and snowy, but no signs of any lightning bolts. Or a helpful thunderstorm. Or anything. Wisty supposed they could technically make one if she and Thalia tried hard enough, but she didn't want to die again.

'There's a tunnel ahead,' Wisty pointed with her left hand. 'See it? The helicopter won't see us. We can figure out our next move in there.'

Luke shook his head. 'Bad move. Best way to get surrounded is to already have walls around you. Believe me, I'm a thief.' He glanced around defensively at everyone's judging looks. 'Hey. Don't judge. I had to survive.'

Zoë looked to the roof of the car. 'Why could the fifth member of the quest not be _anyone_ else?'

Wisty almost smiled, but for the predicament they were in. She looked at Bianca in the shotgun seat. The girl's been very quiet, she thought. She seemed to be looking at something across the river.

'There.' _Speak of the devil…_ Bianca was pointing at the spot she was staring at. 'That parking lot.'

Luke scowled. 'Did anyone hear what I just said?'

'We will be trapped,' Zoë said. 'Why there?'

'Trust me,' Bianca insisted. Rarely had Wisty seen the girl be so confident. Zoë shrugged and shot across two lanes of traffic into the parking lot. They hurried out of the van, and followed Bianca into an ancient-looking entrance.

'Argus is going to be mad,' Thalia muttered as they sped down some stairs. Everyone decided to ignore her.

'It's a subway entrance,' Wisty realized once they got down the stairs. 'You're a genius, Bianca.'

'Thanks,' Bianca grinned. 'I saw this station when me and Nico-'

'Nico and I,' Wisty corrected automatically. 'Sorry. Mom's an English major.'

'-when Nico and I came through last summer,' Bianca continued. 'I remember being really surprised to see it, because it wasn't here when we used to live in D.C.'

'The station looks like it's from Ancient Egypt,' Thalia snorted. 'It definitely isn't new.'

'It could be,' Zoë said, and Wisty wasn't sure if she was serious or not.'

'I guess it does look old,' Bianca said as they bought tickets. 'Let's go south. Alexandria. But trust me, when we lived here as little kids, there was no subway.'

'As in, no subway station, or no subway at all?' Wisty asked. They went through the turnstiles, constantly checking behind them for suspicious-looking mortals or skeletons. 'I don't know anything about D.C., but this thing can't be less than a decade old.'

They got on the southbound train safely, although everyone was a little paranoid. Thalia accidentally sparked and gave static shocks to everyone holding onto the same metal bar as her. Luke stared at a guy in a long trench coat suspiciously the whole time. Zoë almost punched a morning commuter carrying a walking stick. Bianca seemed lost in thought. Wisty supposed she was confused too. Everyone was quiet.

Finally, Zoë broke the silence. 'Bianca, how long ago…'

Her voice faltered. The sound of whirling helicopter blades was getting louder.

'Next station,' Luke said. 'We have to change trains.'

So they did. Multiple times. Over the next half hour or so, all they thought about was losing the helicopter. They changed trains so many times that by the time they eventually outsmarted the chopper they'd outsmarted themselves as well, ending up at the end of the line of one of the train routes: an industrial area with nothing but a few warehouses, factories, and train tracks. The snow seemed heavier here, the type that was a little more than a light flurry which would've been pleasant in other circumstances but made everyone's day worse. The biting wind didn't help, either.

They wandered aimlessly through the railway yard, looking for...something. Anything. 'Well,' Wisty muttered, mostly unbothered by the cold but wishing the snowflakes in her face painful deaths. 'This is terrific.'

'Easy for you t-t-to say,' Thalia chattered, shoulders hunched and arms crossed in an effort to retain some warmth. It didn't really work, but Luke put an arm around her and made it all better. Wisty suppressed a smile at Thalia's blush. Zoë looked mildly scandalized, and Bianca looked away, abashed. 'You don't even feel cold anymore.'

Wisty sighed. 'I'll try to calm the snow, but I don't know if ice is within Poseidon's jurisdiction. It might be more of a Zeus thing.'

She concentrated. The snow seemed to lessen a little, but the wind was as frigid as ever. 'Maybe you can try to calm the wind.'

Thalia shook her head. 'That's not a Zeus thing.'

'It should be,' Zoë said. 'I knew descendants of Zeus who could fly.'

'Well I'm not one of them,' Thalia snapped. 'What are we even walking around for? Trying to find a plane?'

'No one here knows how to fly a plane,' Luke pointed out, his arms still around Thalia. The daughter of Zeus punched him.

There certainly weren't any planes anywhere close. Just rows and rows of freight cars. One would think there'd be at least _one_ passenger train somewhere, Wisty thought, but they haven't had any luck yet.

Zoë suddenly pointed. 'There,' she said. 'There is someone there.'

'Do we care?' Thalia scowled.

Bianca frowned. 'I don't see anything.'

Wisty followed Zoë's line of sight. 'You're looking at the wrong spot. I see him. And I say we go.'

Thalia was too busy shivering in Luke to look for herself. 'Why?'

'Because he has a fire,' Wisty said, then grinned mischievously. 'And however comfortable Luke's chest might be, I'd say a fire is just a _little_ bit better.'

* * *

It was fairly obvious that the old homeless guy was a god.

No one in their right minds would choose here to set up base camp, no matter how homeless they were. The scraggly man didn't look like he had a lighter but had a trashcan fire going anyway. He didn't seem bothered by the cold, either. Once the _Sun West Line_ train appeared, complete with snowless roofs and a triple-deck of gleaming sports cars, it was obvious which god it was.

They had a lot to choose from. Zoë and Bianca camped out in a Lexus - which Wisty thought was kind of lame because they had Lamborghinis and Bugattis and the likes - and Thalia picked a Mercedes SLK so she could hot-wire it to listen to her rock/alt music. Luke, of course, followed her, so that left Wisty to either join them, Zoë and Bianca, or pick another car for herself.

She wanted to talk to Luke about many things, like why he had Annabeth's cap, what happened during his incarceration, how he ended up in Washington of all places, etc., but with Thalia there it would be nearly impossible to not make someone angry. So she marched over to Zoë's car and crashed in the backseat.

'All these cars, and you guys chose a Lexus,' she sighed. 'If I were you I'd be ashamed.'

Zoë snorted. 'Choose another car, then.'

'Believe me, I half want to,' Wisty smirked. 'But we need to talk. Bianca, how did you _do_ that against the skeletons?'

Bianca stared at her own hands, looking as mystified as Wisty. 'I don't know. I'd like to know.'

'Let's recount what happened,' Wisty suggested. 'I was half dead. Luke was about to die. The rest of you guys were busy holding off your own skeletons. Luke's skeleton was about to stab him. Then it burst into flames along with three others. The last one didn't, and ran away.'

'You looked like you was pushing something,' Zoë said. She mimicked the motion. 'Except there was nothing but air to push.'

'The flames were black,' Wisty added. 'Not normal fire, not Greek fire.'

'What's Greek fire?'

'A green flame, hotter and extremely volatile - that is, extremely explosive,' Zoë explained. 'But what you did wasn't that.'

'So we're just going to assume I did it?' Bianca held up her hands. She looked affronted. 'Okay then.'

'It's a _good_ thing that you were able to do it,' Wisty said. 'If we see these _spartoi_ again I'd like more of that, because none of _us_ can do anything to it.'

' _Actually, you can.'_

'What?' Wisty asked, but none of her companions seemed to have spoken. In fact, they were absolutely motionless, as if frozen in time. 'What's going on?'

Suddenly, she wasn't in the car anymore. Instead, she was back in the Air and Space Museum, except instead of being filled with screaming people, it was empty and silent. She looked around suspiciously.

'Why am I here?' she demanded. 'Rhea, I know it's you. If you don't bring me back…'

'What will you do?' The air in front of her shimmered, and Rhea appeared. Once again, Wisty was struck by the sheer similarities between the Titaness and herself. Rhea truly looked like an older version of her, just with different eyes and hair. Rhea took her silence as an answer. 'Exactly. You can do very little to me. We are connected whether you like it or not. Regardless, I do not wish to harm you, only help.'

Wisty took a step back, putting some distance between herself and the immortal. 'I'll be the judge of that.'

'Certainly,' Rhea agreed. 'But this will help you throughout your quest, if not your demigod life. Zoë Nightshade wants to teach you sorcery, but she is...limited by her lack of in-depth knowledge. There are many branches to the mystic arts, but few have the potential to learn it. Some simply do not have the spark.'

'And I do?'

Rhea smirked. 'A little. You are not unique. Many demigods have your spark. Without my help you will achieve very little. But since I am a Titaness…'

'You can help me?' Wisty crossed her arms. 'This sounds very cliché.'

'It is the way it is,' Rhea said matter-of-factly. 'All stories are based on truths. Anyone can teach you technique; only a qualified sorcerer can help you progress at a reasonable rate. Even better when they are millennia-old and immortal. Undoubtedly Zoë has learned some spells in her years, demi-titan as she is, but Artemis is hardly praised for her mastery of the arts.'

'Hold on. What did you say about Zoë?'

'Unimportant,' Rhea dismissed. 'As I was saying, Artemis, like many gods and goddesses, is not renowned for her achievements as a sorceress. Not many know much about it. With my help, you will have an edge over many immortals, an edge that will make a difference. What do you say?'

Wisty pondered it. She didn't really trust Rhea, and the Titaness undoubtedly caught her spying on her conversation with Atlas but wasn't saying anything. Still, an edge over immortals…this could be what she needs in the upcoming war.

'Okay,' she said. 'Sure. So what now?'

'Your immediate problem - skeletons and the such, yes? Perhaps some introduction into animation,' Rhea decided.

'How is _animation_ going to help me kill skeletons?' Even to herself, Wisty sounded incredibly incredulous. 'By making them into cartoons?'

'The _spartoi_ are held together by Ares's power,' Rhea explained patiently, as if to a child. Wisty scowled at her. 'By negating that power, you deanimate them. Which essentially means reducing them to some bones. To know how to deanimate, one must learn how to animate.' She waved her hand, and a pile of bones appeared. 'Here. Try to animate it.'

Wisty stared at the bones, then at the Titaness, both with the same deadpan attitude. '...seriously?'

'It's not so hard,' Rhea insisted. 'Children of Hades can do it on a whim. Just concentrate.'

Wisty stared harder at the bones. She imagined them becoming a _spartoi_. Nothing happened.

'Good first attempt,' Rhea said cheerfully. 'Yes, I was helping, but I could almost feel the energy stir slightly! Keep going. We're not leaving until you successfully animate and deanimate these bones.'

'...I'm going to be thirty-five before that happens.'

'You are a Hunter now, dear. Age doesn't matter. Besides, this space is frozen in time. Don't worry.'

It was going to be a long, long day.


	9. Another Life

**8**

It took a few tries, but she got there in the end.

It turned out that skeletons do not enjoy obeying the daughter of Poseidon. Even with Rhea's help (which felt nonexistent), Wisty was red-faced, panting, and generally pissed off when she finally managed to make a bone twitch. She nearly vomited a few times. It did get progressively easier from then on, with every try a little better, until on what must have been her hundred-and-first try, she managed to construct a wobbly skeleton that didn't instantly collapse.

It was like controlling water, but a million times harder. Water liked her. Bones did not. The tug in her gut when she controlled water was like a small pinch compared to when she tried to animate bones. A sledgehammer would be appropriate.

Deconstructing was much easier. In Rhea's words, 'it is always easier to destroy than to create'. Deanimating the bones, which meant destroying the spells holding them together, was a little like ripping a carefully constructed mechanism apart. Wisty liked it. Much easier than animating, and she didn't have to restrain herself or concentrate. The seas inside her churned with approval.

'Well done,' Rhea praised cheerfully. 'You have completed the first part of your training. We will meet again soon, when necessary.'

'You know, if deanimating is so easy, why did I have to learn to animate?' Wisty sighed. She was seated on the floor, sweat coating her body. 'It hardly seems necessary to be able to make skeletons when I can animate water.'

Rhea's eyes twinkled mischievously. 'All spells are interconnected. One day, animation will become key should you aspire to become a competent sorcerer.'

'What if I don't?'

'Well, it's a useful skill to have nonetheless.' Rhea checked her wrist, but there was no watch. 'Oh, dear, look at the time! You better get back to your quest.'

'Wait, but you said time doesn't matter—'

The Titaness was gone, leaving Wisty with a forehead of sweat and a stomach full of unanswered questions. Specifically, one of them.

Zoë was a _Titaness?_

'Wisty is right,' Zoë said. Wisty blinked. She was back in the Lexus, and Zoë was talking as if nothing ever happened. 'You are the only one who can do something about it.'

'Well, I don't know how I did it!' Bianca exclaimed. 'I just kind of - Wisty, why are you so sweaty?'

Zoë glanced back. Wisty wiped her head. _Son of a…_

She tried for a smile. It probably didn't look convincing. 'I'm feeling a little feverish. Maybe I should lie down.'

Fortunately, her fellow Hunters seemed to buy it. 'Probably your arm,' Zoë decided. 'You should rest. We have some more water here.'

Wisty accepted the canteen gratefully. 'Thanks, Zoë. I'll have a quick nap. You guys...keep watch, or something.'

'Don't worry,' Bianca said. 'This is, like, Apollo's chariot, right? Nothing's going to happen.'

'Don't jinx it,' Wisty muttered. 'Now, for that nap…'

* * *

Wisty was tired of not being herself.

She was wearing a long, floaty, white tunic, garishly decorated with images of flora, fauna, and dragon heads. It seemed like an odd combination to her. She stood taller, felt stronger, and her skin was coppery, almost olive. It reminded her of someone.

Her surroundings were...surreal. Blooming flowers of every shade imaginable surrounded the lush, green grass she stood on. Exotic birds, kinds Wisty had never seen before, chirped their songs cheerfully atop towering trees - pine, palm, oak, birch, redwoods, and others she could not name. Somewhere out of sight, a slow, mellow tune floated through the sweet air lazily, rhythmic and languid.

'Hesperia?' she called out. 'Have you fed the dragon?'

'Indeed I have, sister.' Another woman appeared, similar in appearance but slightly shorter, wearing much the same garment. 'Ladon is content.'

Wisty, or not-Wisty, sighed petulantly. 'I was hoping I could feed him.'

'Do not look so downtrodden, Zoë,' and with a jolt, Wisty realized who she was acting as. Hesperia smiled warmly, like the setting sun in the background, framed by lush, green trees and bountiful orchards. 'Your turn is tomorrow.'

'Hesperia is right, sister.' Instinctively, Wisty knew the newcomer's name. Arethusa. _Creeks. She was always the responsible one,_ a voice in her head whispered. 'We cannot afford to disrupt the rhythm to our life. The schedule works best.'

'I do not see value in these minuscule details,' Wisty - _Zoë -_ insisted. 'It does not matter who feeds Ladon, as long as the time is right.'

'You know very well the value of these minuscule details, Zoë.' Erytheia. _Red._ Like the sunset, but...bloodier. Her voice sounded snappy. Wisty did not like her. 'We must all maintain good relations with the dragon, lest we be eaten as the snacks we provide him!'

'Peace, sister.' Aegle, the eldest. _Brightness. Splendor. The big sister she looked up to._ 'Zoë means no harm. She is simply more familiar with Ladon than you are.' Erytheia huffed indignantly, but didn't respond. 'Come. It is time to visit our father.'

Wisty hesitated. 'Must I?'

Aegle gave her a light but firm stare. 'You know you must, little sister. He is our father.'

'He is what confines us to this garden,' Wisty huffed. 'If he was not here, we would be free.'

'We are songbirds and florists, Zoë,' Hesperia sighed. 'We are not meant for the outside world.'

'We repeat our routines and tend to our flowers, but one day, we will trill our final verse,' Wisty said. 'I would rather experience the outside before it happens.'

Erytheia huffed, as if the idea that they will eventually cease to exist made no sense to her. 'We are immortal. We do not fade away.'

'Everything which has a beginning has an end,' Aegle said. 'That includes us. But it is our duty to care for—'

'Guard against,' Wisty muttered.

'—our father,' Aegle continued, ignoring her. 'And thus, we must visit him. Come, Zoë. Let us depart.'

She hesitated still. '...if I must. Allow me a few moments alone. To prepare.'

Aegle smiled. 'Of course.' Then her sisters disappeared, leaving Zoë - _Wisty -_ alone in the garden. She walked over to a maple tree and sat down in its shade.

She observed the sky. The sunset emitted beautiful colors, but never moved. The clouds were basked in its glory, but they too were motionless. She felt a vague sense of weariness fall upon her.

She glanced up at the mountain and stood up. Perhaps she should just get this over with. She had barely taken a step when a rustling behind her make her turn. 'Intruder! Stop where you are!'

Out of the bushes walked a man wearing nothing but a loincloth which left little to imagination and a lion-skin cape. Wisty blushed, and averted her eyes. 'Do you have no decency?'

'I come in seek of the Golden Apples of Hera,' the man said. His voice was deep, rich, and smooth. Wisty observed his face. She would not call him handsome, but he certainly did not look bad. A ruggedness ran through his features which made Wisty mark the man as an adventurer. The rippling muscles and sun-tanned skin only added to that image.

'You are the famous son of Zeus, I presume?' she said. 'Queen Hera has told us much about your...deeds, both right and wrong. You may not have the apple. It is sacred to the Queen of Olympus.'

'Bah,' the son of Zeus sneered. 'Hera. Hera this, Hera that. She is always trying to destroy my life and watch it crumble into ruins as the Gigantes crumbled under my hands. Step aside, girl. You are no match for me.'

Wisty scowled. Already, she did not like the man. 'Do not underestimate the guardians of this sanctuary, demigod. We are immortal, and Ladon leaves no man unharmed. Not even you can escape with your might.'

'I think you are underestimating me, guardian, and not the other way around,' the man chuckled. _Arrogant. Unworthy._ 'Tell me, is Ladon a match for the mighty Nemean Lion? The Three-Headed Cerberus? I think not—'

'They would have been vanquished in an instant, Wisty interrupted calmly. 'Ladon has a century of heads, each one possessing fangs dripping with venom deadlier than the very deepest pits of Tartarus. These petty monsters you mention are no match for him.'

The son of Zeus looked stunned. Then he smiled, warmly. 'Perhaps I was too rash in my judgment of you,' he admitted, looking sheepish. Wisty relaxed. Perhaps he was not so bad. 'What is your name, pretty one?'

Against her wishes, Wisty blushed. 'It is of no concern to you. Head back, adventurer, before Ladon gleans your presence.'

'I cannot,' the man said. 'It is the only way to set me free. I must have a golden apple.'

 _No. Back away._ That's what Wisty wanted to say. But she hesitated.

'Tell me your story, son of Zeus,' she instead said.

So he did. He did not mention a name, but he told her of all his adventures. Wisty found herself drawn to the man's stories, so full of heartbreak and misfortune and sorrow. 'Are Stymphalian birds truly real? I thought them a myth.'

The man chuckled. 'Yes, pretty one. They are real, and they shoot feathers from their wings like Apollo with his golden bow. It took all my might to stave them off. In the end, I used Lady Athena's rattle to scare them off with loud sounds.'

'You seem to be favored by the gods,' Wisty noted. 'If so many have helped you in your labors.'

The man's chuckle, this time, was bitter. 'Me, favored by the gods? The truth could not be further. Olympus despises me, dear, or I would not have to complete these pointless tasks in the first place. I am truly an unfortunate soul.'

Wisty agreed with him. 'And if you get the apple, you can escape their wrath?'

'Indeed, guardian,' the man said. 'This is the twelfth, and the final, labor. One for each of the gods of Olympus. Then I may rest.'

Wisty bit her lip, and made a decision. 'Then let me help you, hero.'

The man looked down at her. 'You? How can you help me with these slender arms?' He squared his shoulders. 'No. I have bested a thousand monsters with my bare hands. Ladon will be no different.'

'No, you will not,' Wisty put an arm on his shoulder. 'Ladon is too strong. Your only hope is my father, atop the mountain.'

'I do not trust your father.'

'And you should not,' Wisty agreed. 'But he is not without honor. You will have to negotiate, but you cannot take the prize directly. You will die!'

'Then why do you not take the apple for me, guardian?'

'I...I am afraid,' she admitted. 'Ladon will stop me. My sisters, they will...they will disown me. I cannot.'

'Then there is nothing for it.' The man stood up.

'Wait!' Wisty cried. Her hand floated towards her head, then hesitated. _I am betraying my family,_ she thought. _But, then again, do they care for me more, or the garden?_

She unclasped something from her hair - a hairpin - and held it out for the man to take. 'If you are so stubborn, at least take this.'

The man glanced down at the unassuming hairpin. 'And how will a woman's hairpin help me, pretty one?'

'It may not,' Wisty agreed. 'But it is all I can offer.'

The son of Zeus hesitated, then took the hairpin. Wisty watched it with melancholic acceptance as it transformed into a familiar bronze blade. The man swung it around experimentally.

'Well balanced,' he grinned. 'Although I prefer to use my bare hands. What is its name, guardian?'

'Anaklusmos,' Wisty said, mournfully. She was betraying her sisters. She was betraying Ladon. And this demigod, he will fail, like all others who have tried. 'The current which takes one by surprise. And before you know it, you have been swept out to sea.'

The bushes behind them rustled. There was a trampling sound in the foliage, and hisses which sounded like a thousand snakes. Wisty's eyes widened, and she grabbed the hero's arm and ran. 'Too late! Ladon is here!'

* * *

Her dream shifted. She was back on Mount Othrys, in a barren cave. The ceiling hung low over her threateningly.

She scanned the room for people. Her eyes widened. 'Oh, Annabeth…'

The daughter of Athena knelt under a pile of what looked like a swirling mass of boulders, near catatonic. The weight looked like it was actively trying to crush her.

'How is the demigod?' Atlas's voice boomed from the shadows. 'Not dead, I hope.'

A _dracanae_ emerged from the shadows. She slithered over to Annabeth and touched her face. No reaction.

'She issss fading,' she hissed. 'She will not lasssst much longer.'

'I do not like this,' Atlas scowled. 'This is not how we did it before. We did not torture children.'

Wisty somehow doubted that, yet sincerity rang through his words. He seemed genuinely indignant.

'Is the goddess here?' he snapped. 'Bring her. Now!'

Two dog-faced humanoids who looked like a blend between a Doberman, a sea lion, and a human child appeared from deep within the cave, dragging someone forward. _Oh, Artemis…_

She looked terrible. Celestial bronze chains bound her ankles and wrists. She wore something which might have once resembled light, silver combat gear had it not been so tattered and smudged with dust and ichor. Wisty could clearly see some wounds still bleeding, the most prominent one being a long gash across the right side of her face, nearly grazing the eye. Because her ankles were tied together, she was forced to hop awkwardly along as the Doberman/sea lion/baby hybrids scampered along at surprising pace. They thrust her forwards, and she stumbled, falling onto her knees.

'Artemis,' Wisty gasped. The goddess's eyes widened, just for a second. _Could she hear her?_

'You heard her,' Atlas said. 'Decide.'

Artemis quickly schooled her expression into one of anger. 'I did not think you were the duplicitous one, Sky-Bearer. The title is usually more fitting for your uncle.'

' _Wisteria. Is it you?'_

Atlas remained motionless. 'Do not pin this on me, goddess. I do what the king requires.'

' _Yes,'_ Wisty thought. _'Can you hear me?'_

' _It is a trap. Listen carefully. Beware!'_

'An elaborate plan you have,' Artemis noted, almost dryly, staring down Atlas despite her position. 'One that surely will not work. Zoë and Wisteria are not stupid.'

Atlas shrugged. 'I care little for the plan. The end result is what matters. They will come for you or the girl. Some, for both. They will end up here no matter what happens.'

'Still,' Artemis said, 'first capturing the Hermes boy? Chasing them with the _spartoi_ so they end up in Washington? Gambling on the fact that they will find you and one of them will get captured? Your precision is extraordinary. I am curious to see what happens when it inevitably fails.'

Atlas smiled icily. 'Yes. Our predictions have been _very_ precise, though we did not account for _her_ to follow.' He waved a hand at the semi-conscious Annabeth. 'Speaking of her, you heard the snake. What will Athena say if her daughter perishes because you were too afraid to bear the Curse?'

Artemis's eyes flashed with anger. Before she could respond, Wisty's world folded into darkness.

* * *

Wisty sat bolt upright, cold sweat running down her back. She was still in the Lexus. Bianca had her eyes closed and her head against the headrest. Zoë was asleep as well, snoring softly. Wisty noticed that her silver tiara was unwound from her hair for the first time since she first saw her, and her normally utilitarian braid was undone, allowing her dark hair to tumble down her face. She looked less like a royal queen and more like any teenage girl, asleep on her way to high school.

She took a moment to collect herself. Her hand crept instinctively to her pocket, and she brought the ballpoint pen out. _Anaklusmos. The current which takes one by surprise._ A different form, but it was undoubtedly the blade from her dreams. A dream about Zoë's past.

She didn't know what to make of the second dream. It only served to confirm her suspicions and make Atlas seem more sympathetic, but she didn't have the time to dwell on sentiments for the characters of enemies. She pushed it aside for the time being.

One thing was for sure: Zoë was a Hesperide. But there were only four Hesperides. It didn't make sense, but her dreams proved true more often than not.

Another thing was sure. The loincloth. The lion pelt. The huge muscles. A son of Zeus. Tasked with twelve labors. The demigod she had talked to was Heracles.

* * *

Wisty wanted to talk to Zoë alone, so she dragged the previously asleep lieutenant out of the car into a red Bugatti.

'What...Wisteria?' Zoë blinked the sleep out of her eyes. 'What art thou doing?'

'Just dragged your sleepy ass into another, _better_ car,' Wisty responded. 'I want to talk.'

Zoë groaned as she righted herself. 'Vulgar language,' she muttered. 'Rude.'

'I'm sure you swear sometimes,' Wisty rolled her eyes. 'Don't even deny it.'

'In combat, not when someone else just woke up—'

'Zoë,' Wisty interrupted. 'Please. Listen.'

The lieutenant looked grumpy, but stayed silent.

'There are a few things,' Wisty began. 'I had a dream. About you.'

Zoë raised an eyebrow. 'Do tell.' She moved her seat back, lowered the back, and lounged on it.

Wisty took a deep breath. 'You were a Hesperide.'

Zoë, who had been picking at her fingernails, froze. She sat upright, tiredness promptly forgotten. 'You dreamt about _what,_ exactly _?'_

Wisty closed her eyes, remembering. 'I...was you. I saw all of your sisters - Hesperia, Erytheia, Arethusa, Aegle - in this garden where the sun didn't set and everything seemed to be motionless. They - we - were about to visit your father.'

Zoë looked lost in memory. Thousands of years of sadness seemed to suddenly catch up with her. ''Tis the garden of twilight,' she murmured. 'Where the sun is fiery but does not set, the clouds are white but do not drift, and the living are alive but do not live.'

'It was beautiful,' Wisty sighed. 'But I - you - didn't like it. Your sisters went up the mountain first, but you stayed behind for a little. Then, this man walked in.'

Zoë looked pained. 'And I suppose you know who this man is?'

'Heracles,' Wisty said. 'The strongest demigod of all time.'

'But not the greatest,' Zoë scowled at her hands. 'And never a hero.'

'You helped him with his twelfth labor,' Wisty said. 'You gave him Anaklusmos. But the dream ended when Ladon came.'

Zoë looked at her. 'Would you like to know the rest?'

'Only if you want to tell me.'

'I do not know why I helped him. I gave him your sword,' Zoë recalled. She sank back into her chair-bed. 'Infused with my immortal energy. It would not have helped, but...I thought perhaps Ladon would not kill him straight away. But he came crashing through the flowers and trees, and I knew he would die, so I commanded Ladon to stop. He did, all of his hundred heads, and Heracles ran up the mountain to my father. He convinced him to help, and so he got his golden apple.'

'By then, I was in too deep to back out. He ran down the mountain, and I pleaded with him to take me, but he left without glancing at me. Not even a glance.' She shook her head. 'My sisters, they saw everything. Aegle was furious, and Erytheia was gleeful. She never liked me. Arethusa acted...indifferent.' She looked pained when she said that. 'Hesperia pleaded my case, but I was cast out, my immortality lost and my powers diminished to almost nothing.'

'But you didn't die,' Wisty said. 'Artemis found you.'

'Eventually,' Zoë said. 'I scavenged in the wild for years. I could not go into the cities; they would sell me as a slave or prostitute. I used my knowledge of plants and fruits to survive. It was very...uncomfortable.'

Wisty refrained from commenting, but she thought Zoë probably wanted to use another word not nearly as pleasant.

'It was not entirely a curse, to be cast out from the garden,' Zoë continued. 'I learned many things about the world which I otherwise would not have learned. Survival skills - I learned how to build fires, shelters, collect rainwater, and the such. Some months after my first encounter with a deer I made my first bow - crude and quite inaccurate, but it did the job on unsuspecting prey. I suppose that's when I drew Artemis's attention.'

'A Hesperide being cast out was surely the talk of Olympus,' Wisty frowned. 'They did not...do anything?'

Zoë smiled wryly, glancing at her. 'As benevolent as Artemis and some others may seem, they are still gods. Once I left the immortal circle, I was hardly worth mentioning.' She stared out the window at the night sky. 'I owe my life to Artemis - the life that I have now, adventuring, moving, _living._ But she is far from perfect, as are all gods. As is _everyone.'_

Wisty didn't know why she felt disappointed after hearing that. To her, Artemis had seemed pretty flawless, even though that was probably immature to think.

'You look disappointed,' Zoë noted.

Wisty blinked. 'Uh, I do?'

'I don't know whether thou expected Artemis to be perfect,' Zoë said, amused. 'Perfection is boring. I imagine my two millennia with Artemis would not have been nearly as exciting if she was perfect. There have been many occasions where I cursed at her, fought her, screamed at her, but looking back, I do not regret a moment spent with my goddess. I suppose what I'm trying to say is...there will be moments when thou will regret joining the hunt; when thou will think the Hunt is terrible. But they will pass. And ultimately you will find that the Hunt is as good as they come.'

'But I digress. I was hunting when I stumbled into a snare - set by Phoebe, I later learned - and the Hunters rescued me. I was offered a place into the Hunt, and I gladly accepted. To me, any home was better than none. I did not have your doubts, or any doubts, until I saw one of them castrate a man who stumbled into the camp.'

'Woah,' Wisty held up a hand. 'Pause. That's...terrible.'

'Yes,' Zoë agreed. 'But it was also Ancient Greece, where women had to fight tooth and nail for much less than basic rights. Many of us were bitter - most joined because of oppressive monarchs, controlling fathers, and abusive men in general. I was no different, and the doubts quickly faded. An eye for an eye was how we lived.'

'That's pretty hypocritical. And wrong.'

Zoë looked at her. 'I would rather call it justice.'

'Castrating men for other people's mistakes isn't justice.'

'Most of them committed terrible crimes against women,' Zoë scowled. 'I do not regret.'

'I had an abusive stepfather,' Wisty shifted so she faced the stony-faced lieutenant. 'That doesn't make every man I meet abusive. Pretty big generalization to make.'

'We are in the twenty-first century, where conditions are very different.' Zoë clenched and unclenched her fists. 'In Ancient Greece, it would not be a generalization. It would be correct.'

'Most of the time.'

'All of the time. We can agree to disagree,' Zoë snapped, 'but I _lived_ in Ancient Greece. You learn watered-down, sugarcoated history from Chiron. I am more qualified to speak.'

'If all men were bad, and the patriarchy was dominant, how did it get better as time went on?' Wisty demanded. 'There is always one exception. In this case, many. I don't agree with what the Hunt did. I would...feel horrible.'

Zoë did not respond. Wisty got the impression that she was angry. She sighed defeatedly. 'I'm sorry. You are more qualified to speak. Can you tell me more about Heracles?'

Zoë gave her a look. 'Heracles was like all men, except worse. He was the embodiment of typical masculine traits - strong, self-centered, quick to anger. Many at your camp hail him as the greatest. They should be disillusioned - he was a…' she struggled to find a word.

'A dickhead?' Wisty suggested.

'Something like that,' Zoë agreed. 'Everything he did, he did for himself. But I do not wish to dwell on him.'

Wisty brought out Anaklusmos. The pen felt heavier, weighed down by thousands of years of history. 'Do you want the sword back? If it's your immortal power…'

Zoë half-smiled. 'It would not restore my immortality. Perhaps I might grow slightly stronger, but no, I would like you to keep it.'

'Why?'

'You are a capable girl, Wisteria,' Zoë sighed. In that moment, she looked less like a teenager and more like a war-hardened veteran, burdened down by sorrowful memories. 'One day, I will fall, but Anaklusmos will remain. If I was to be...indisposed, I want thee to lead. You can show this to the Hunt. They will accept you more easily.'

Wisty was taken aback. 'Zoë, you're not dying anytime soon.'

''Tis the age of change,' Zoë gazed out the window as factories and fields flew past in the darkness. 'The Titans have not stirred in three millennia, yet now they rise and are almost ready to pounce. All things have an end. I sense mine, closer now than ever.'

'No. I won't let it happen.' Wisty gripped Riptide tightly. 'Nobody's dying on this quest.'

'Perhaps not on this quest, but sometime soon. _One shall be lost in the land without rain._ Does that not sound ominous? One cannot fight fate. It is inevitable.'

Wisty disagreed, but she had no argument. 'If you say so. There's still no guarantee that you're going to die. _Lost_ doesn't mean _dead._ Besides, why am I your successor when there are people like Phoebe who should be in line?'

'The lieutenant position is not about being in line.' Zoë looked as if the very suggestion of inheritance offended her. Her face scrunched up in derision. 'Heritage was made up by old kings to benefit their sons. The Hunt does not stoop to their level. Artemis's second in command has to be the very best at everything - archery, close combat, leadership, decision-making. Phoebe is less than the best when it comes to the latter two.'

Wisty thought directly appointing a successor was essentially what the old kings did, except through less obvious means, but she didn't say it. 'Well, I'm not good at any of them.'

Zoë gave her an incredulous look. 'From empirical evidence, I would suggest otherwise.'

'I'm the worse possible shot with a bow,' Wisty began, miming counting on her fingers. 'I'm not as good at close combat - surely - than Phoebe and probably most of the Hunters. I don't lead anything, and I hate making decisions. I think I'm the exact opposite of what you're looking for.'

'A lieutenant also needs confidence, so perhaps that's what thou should work on,' Zoë rolled her eyes. 'Archery can be improved with practice. Artemis's blessing will make you a better shot than everyone at camp minus Chiron and sadly, Apollo's children. Your swordsmanship is fine, but what truly marks thee as remarkable is the ease with which thee utilize thy powers in tandem with your maneuvers. That will make thee nearly impossible to defeat.'

'You may not realize it, but the driving force behind this quest has largely been thee. Despite being unconscious for half the time, we would not have made progress, or even be alive, if it weren't for thee. I see thy incredulity - but it is true. You lead when necessary, and that is perhaps better than leading whenever possible. You make the right decisions and hard decisions. Thalia would do well to learn from thee.'

It was high praise, especially from the millennia-old lieutenant of Artemis. Wisty didn't quite know how to respond.

'Something I picked up from Luke at the Smithsonian,' she finally replied, changing the subject. 'He said the General grew the skeletons before they started chasing him, but we were chased off the highway by the same skeletons.'

Zoë shook her head. 'They were not the same skeletons. They had different uniforms.'

'Right, but the same type.'

'Yes,' Zoë agreed. 'Only _spartoi_ are that resilient. This means that the two groups of skeletons are not together and likely not from the same aggressor.'

'One of them is the General,' Wisty said. 'The other one…'

They exchanged looks. Both knew what the other was thinking. They were thinking about the same someone _._

'Rhea talked to me,' Wisty said. She'd been debating whether to tell Zoë or not. She supposed the former Hesperide deserved to know if she was going to help her with this Rhea situation, whether good or not. 'She taught me a few things.'

Zoë side-eyed her. 'What kind of things?'

Wisty grimaced. 'I don't know if I can do it on things that haven't been alive, but watch.' She looked for something to target, and settled on the steering wheel - there was literally nothing else to move. She stilled and tried to concentrate.

Nothing happened. No tug in her gut. Certainly no movement from the wheel.

'I guess not,' she finally said, defeated. Somehow her forehead had become slick with sweat, even though she didn't accomplish a single thing. She willed it to dry quickly.

'What were you trying to accomplish?' Zoë stared at her, puzzled. 'Move the steering wheel with your will?'

Wisty scowled at her. 'Don't sound so incredulous. I animated a skeleton. With Rhea's help, but still.'

'It was certainly with Rhea's help,' Zoë said. 'Most likely, it was your minuscule contributions helping Rhea.'

'I thought it would be easier, since I did it before,' Wisty sighed. 'It got progressively easier the more I tried.'

'Yes, that is expected.' Zoë wriggled her fingers, and maybe it was her imagination, but Wisty thought she saw the wheel move. 'Sorcery is like physical activity. It takes time to warm up, and those who do it frequently do it quicker and better. Sometimes, it is better to incorporate some physical movement - hand gestures and the like, because it helps with concentration and directs the flow of power.'

'Just like me with water, then,' Wisty said. 'When I make motions with my hand the water follows them.'

'Precisely.' Zoë mimicked turning the wheel, and although she didn't touch it, it turned. 'And Rhea taught you this why?'

'For the skeletons,' Wisty explained. 'She thought it would be helpful if Bianca wasn't the only one able to kill them.'

'And...are you?'

Wisty grabbed the air and turned. She tried so hard that her eyes squeezed shut. The tug in her gut was minor. The wheel twitched...maybe? Zoë made a noise that sounded like she was suppressing a laugh.

'I suppose it twitched a little,' the lieutenant conceded upon catching Wisty's dejected expression. 'Animating something naturally inanimate is much more difficult. Still, I would not rely on what you have learned so far, and not just because Rhea could be the one raising her sails.'

On a whim, Wisty made a punching gesture at the windshield. Her gut wrenched, and she slammed her eyes shut at the discomfort. When she opened them again, sweat was running down her back, but she grinned.

'Impressive,' Zoë mused, staring at the windshield, which had a web of cracks still spreading from Wisty's target point. 'I suppose destruction comes easily to Poseidon's kin.'

Wisty rested her head on the headrest and half-closed her eyes. 'I guess.'

'Although,' Zoë continued mildly, 'you have just ruined one of Apollo's prized cars. Perhaps that was not the wisest decision.'

Wisty's eyes shot open. 'Oh...shit.'

* * *

'I hope you guys haven't been naughty,' Wisty called out just a little too loudly as she opened the car door. 'Premarital sex is a sin.'

'One more word and I cut your mouth off,' Thalia threatened.

'How does one cut a mouth off?' Wisty asked, amused. 'It's a hole. You can't cut a hole off something. Luke, stop laughing at your girlfriend.'

He didn't even bother trying to deny it. 'You're one to talk, Jackson. I thought you joined the Hunt because you didn't like us anymore, but apparently you've been getting frisky with—'

'Careful, Luke,' Wisty hushed quickly. 'She might be captured but when we rescue her, whatever you say here, I'll snitch.' She exchanged a glance with Thalia. _Because you didn't like us anymore._ Not entirely true, but a little too close to home.

'So, what, you're gay?' Luke asked. 'How did I never notice?'

'Artemis is _not my girlfriend,'_ Wisty stressed, cheeks flaming. 'I was lying on her in that tree because—'

'Ah, so you _were_ lying on her—'

' _Because,_ I just joined the Hunt and the blessing overwhelmed me. Not because we were _cuddling.'_

Thalia smirked. 'You were definitely cuddling. Look, you're blushing! She was stroking your hair and everything.'

'Woah, now you're telling me _Artemis_ initiated it?' Luke exclaimed. 'Wisty, you're a seductress.'

'Remember, you're getting snitched on, Castellan.'

Luke sniffed disdainfully. 'Snitches get stitches.'

Wisty smiled. 'Not when there's a goddess involved.'

They all had a good laugh. It felt good to be just laughing and not fighting about...anything, really. As the laughter subsided, Luke shifted in his seat.

'So...you're just gone? Forever?' he asked. 'I mean...it's kind of sudden, isn't it?'

'I had no choice,' Wisty said. 'In a few days, it's my sixteenth birthday. The camp is not prepared for war, and neither are the gods. I will remain a huntress at least until the prophecy has passed.'

'So, after that, you'll come back?'

She hesitated. 'I guess we'll have to wait and see.'

'Tell me, Wisty,' Luke turned around from his front seat. 'Do you...like the Hunt? More than us?'

This felt like déjà vu. Wisty stared at the space between Luke and Thalia's seats. 'There hasn't been a great _us_ for some time, Luke.'

He frowned. 'What do you mean?'

Wisty looked at him dryly. 'Tell me, Luke, do you think me being on the opposite team in Capture the Flags is a coincidence?'

'...now that I think about it, no. But why?'

'I've talked to Thalia about this already...kind of. We had a fight - not important.' Thalia coughed. Wisty ignored her. 'The gist: you and Annabeth are closer to Thalia than me. Whenever shit happens, it is your group of three plus me, often unwillingly. I did not - still do not - like it, I'd rather be by myself, or better yet, have a group which appreciates my opinion. I felt like that was missing from our group dynamic.'

Luke stared towards the back of Zoë's Lexus. 'I never considered that.'

'For someone as witty as you, you're surprisingly slow.' Wisty smirked. 'I feel like the Hunt is, right now, my best option. Purely selfish, of course, but I don't think you guys need me as much as I need this. You're a better swordsman—'

'That's not true. You win most of our duels.'

'That's not the point. I win because I'm nimbler, not better—'

'That's the _point_ of sword fighting, Wisty.'

'—Thalia's powerful—'

'Not as powerful as you,' Thalia muttered. 'You saved a forest when I was raining you with lightning bolts.'

'—if the camp needs help, I'll be there. Just not...not as a camper.'

She shifted, finding a more comfortable position sitting. 'I hope you understand, Luke. I think Thalia is still angry, but Thals, I hope you eventually see my point of view.' She sighed tiredly. 'Enough about me. There are some things we need to clear up. Luke, why were you at the Smithsonian, and why did you have Annabeth's invisibility cap?'

Luke twiddled his thumbs. 'It's a long story.'

Wisty glanced at the sky. The moon was high overhead. It probably wasn't even midnight yet. 'We've got time.'

Luke sighed. 'As you know, I was captured. They brought me to their base - really dark, really creepy - and I was imprisoned there for, like, a day or so. Then they brought me to the Smithsonian - I don't really know why. When they were fussing over the dragon teeth - the ones the skeletons grew from - I noticed the door open, but nobody was there. They had a piece of Zoë's shirt and gave it to the skeletons to sniff so they could track her scent.' He shuddered. 'Creepy people, these Titans. I couldn't really do anything, but I felt my bonds loosen. Someone had cut the rope loose. So, I ran towards the piece of cloth, grabbed it, and started running, but the manticore was fast, and he shot a spike at me. That's when I heard this cry behind me, and suddenly Annabeth was collapsing onto the ground with a spike in her leg.' He took a deep breath. '...I couldn't take her, but I managed to...to snag the cap and started running. A piece of my shirt got caught on the door handle and ripped.'

Thalia winced. Wisty kept her face blank. 'How was Annabeth there?'

Luke shrugged. 'I guess she followed you.'

Wisty thought back to the random flash of blonde she'd seen at the cafe. She was right, then. It was Annabeth.

'She was angry I didn't choose her for the quest,' she said. 'I could tell. It makes sense.' She hesitated. 'Did you see Artemis?'

Luke shook his head. 'No. I was blindfolded.'

Wisty groaned in annoyance. She heard a laugh from Thalia.

'Don't worry, Jackson,' she taunted. 'I know you want to see her.'

Wisty didn't bother denying it. 'Thanks, Thalia. I'll get going now. I need to talk to Zoë.' She opened the door. 'We don't know when this train's going to stop but I assume it's going to at sunrise. Make sure you get some sleep.'


	10. Rescue of Miracles

**9**

After the train stopped somewhere in New Mexico, they bought some coffee at some small ski town called Cloudcroft and managed to sneak onto a bus to Alamogordo, the nearest city of some significance. Despite their dreary circumstances, they were on a good, monster-less run. The bus ride was surprisingly uneventful. Wisty spent most of the time drinking as much water as she can (courtesy of Thalia buying around three thousand bottles of them). Her arm was healing nicely. Things were looking up. The only thing bugging her was Thalia's new screaming rubber duck, which she had bought from some clerk who, in her words, 'looked more depressed than the entire Aphrodite cabin when Chiron told them to trim their nails'.

There weren't too many people on the bus, but Zoë still looked less than pleased to be stuck on it. Wisty thought it was nice of Bianca to offer the lieutenant the window seat away from the people. Luke and Thalia were technically on two seats, but from their position, it looked more like a (un)subtle attempt at spooning. They saved the back row for her, which was nice. She could lie down and relax her shoulder.

They didn't pay for tickets, but the bus driver didn't look like she cared. Three hours and a bit later, they got off the bus with nothing more than an eye roll from her, which, in Wisty's opinion, was quite nice and probably the best-case scenario.

It was a nice bus ride, all in all. Thalia didn't even squeeze her screaming rubber duck.

'Apparently it takes twenty-eight hours via train to go to San Francisco,' Luke said. They were in the city, a train station nearby. 'We've got a few more days. We can chill here and rest up.'

'We just sat for an hour and a half on a bus,' Bianca pointed out.

'Rest, as in sleep in a bed,' Luke amended. 'Actual hot food. Nice showers.'

'It would be ideal if we got to San Francisco before we rest,' Zoë said. 'It would minimize any chance of the unexpected.'

'Oh, come on,' Thalia groaned. 'A hot shower never hurt anybody.'

Everyone looked at Zoë pleadingly. 'There's a motel right there,' Luke pointed.

Zoë looked about to crack. Wisty gave her a pleading look she'd perfected against her mom. 'Come on, Zoë. You want a hot shower too, don't you?'

'Fine!' She caved, throwing up her hands. 'One night. We move tomorrow at dawn.'

Wisty high-fived Thalia and Luke. Bianca laughed delightedly. Zoë was trying to look tough, but there was a hint of relief on her face. Wisty supposed even the hardest of wills bent when basic comfort was offered.

They arrived at the motel and pooled their money. 'Sixty-seven,' Thalia groaned. 'Enough for a single room.'

Everyone looked dejected. 'Well, it's better than nothing,' Wisty muttered.

She looked at Zoë for her reaction. The lieutenant was rummaging around in her pocket. Out of nowhere, she pulled out a thick wad of hundred-dollar bills. She handed them to Wisty.

'Get the best five rooms,' she told her. 'I have more for the train tomorrow.'

Everyone stared at her. 'Where the fuck did you get that money from?' Luke asked.

Zoë glanced at him and didn't respond.

'Well?' Wisty prompted.

'Magic,' Zoë said sarcastically. 'Just go get the rooms.'

So she did. She wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. She got five rooms with queen-sized beds and handed the inn owner seven hundred bucks, cash.

'Keep the change,' she told him. If Zoë had more, they didn't need it.

'Where is my change?' Zoë asked her when she got back with their room keys.

Wisty gave back the rest of her hundred dollar bills. There were still five hundred dollars left. 'It's the good karma you get for giving the owner the change.'

Zoë rolled her eyes and stashed the cash back into her pocket. Wisty wondered where it went, because the pocket was way too small for the cash to fit without showing. She didn't question it. Maybe next time they face these skeletons she'll pull out a death beam laser bazooka.

She entered her room. It wasn't lavish, but she supposed motels never were. There was a pretty standard TV, and the walls were clean enough. She inspected the bathroom - nice and tidy. The shower looked extremely inviting.

She stripped off her sooty clothes and threw them onto the carpet floor - she'd wash them later. With a twist, the showerhead began to rain down warm, steamy water. Her entire body felt loose as the dried sweat and blood on her body washed off in slightly crimson rivulets of water, relaxing her muscles and healing her wounds. The hole in her shoulder was almost completely closed..

Sighing, she closed her eyes, enjoying the moment. Who knew whether she'd get a chance like this again? She imagined that everyone else was probably doing the same. Living the demigod life meant enjoying small luxuries whenever possible.

There were cheap shampoo, conditioner, and body wash provided. Wisty reached for the shampoo, then stopped herself. Maybe she could try this…

She concentrated and reached her hand out in a grabbing motion. Nothing happened. She concentrated harder and tried again, to no avail.

She scowled, and concentrated so hard her vision became tinged with red. The shampoo bottle lifted off the shelf. She pulled her hand back and the shampoo bottle followed.

She smiled happily. _One step further…?_

She twisted with her other hand. The bottle cap spun off, clattering onto the ground. She flicked the bottle towards her with a flourish and caught it.

Her smile grew into a grin. _Progress._

Later that night, she flicked the light switch off without moving from her bed.

* * *

Everyone convened in the motel lobby the following morning: a refreshed Wisty, a stoic Zoë, a hair-still-wet-from-shower Bianca, a blinking Luke, and a bed-haired Thalia. Wisty was tempted to make a sex hair joke, what with their apparent tiredness and all, but Thalia often woke up disgruntled and she figured she'd pushed it enough the previous day already. She settled for splashing water on her face.

'Hey!' Thalia snapped.

Wisty smirked. 'Just waking you up.'

'As amusing as it is seeing Thalia drenched with water, we have more important things to do.' Zoë was hiding a smile, Wisty could tell. 'The train leaves at nine. We should go.'

With a wave of her hand, Wisty dried Thalia off. Bianca gave her an admiring look.

'You're good at that,' she said with fascination and a hint of longing. 'I wonder what my powers are.'

'Don't worry,' Wisty assured her. 'They'll be obvious pretty soon.'

'Usually, they begin to develop very soon after one discovers their demigod heritage,' Zoë said. 'Although some manifest themselves in the form of natural talent, others are more preternatural.'

Bianca frowned. 'That's great. Preternatural?'

'Supernatural,' Zoë elaborated. 'In this contest, something which cannot be achieved by others no matter how hard they train. For example, Wisteria's control over water is completely inherited. No matter how hard Luke trains, he will not have it.'

'Big word,' Thalia noted, at the same time as when Luke said 'why me?'

Zoë scowled, ignoring Luke. 'Try being around Artemis. She enjoys her words very much.'

The straggled out of the hotel, Luke and Thalia blinking at the sudden brightness. Wisty didn't mind it. The soft light of dawn cast a hypnotizing glow over the city, and she was mesmerized, if only for a second, by the lengthy shadows the buildings cast onto the old and worn roads. Zoë bought them tickets west using her endless pocket of cash. They piled onto the train. There weren't too many people on it, probably because it was a weekday and nobody needed to go to San Francisco. Their seats looked comfortable, and Wisty plopped down onto one with a satisfied _ahh_ before yelping and jumping back up. There was something sharp in her seat. She frowned down at it and moved to the next one.

With a lurch and a groan, the train slowly exited Alamogordo Station. Wisty, head against the window, stared with glassy eyes at the landscape rolling past. Soon, the enchanting city dawnlight gave way to a brighter and harsher desert sun, and they were speeding through the dry dustbowl of rural New Mexico again.

They were in the last carriage - the only ones in the last carriage. Luke and Thalia were fast asleep. Zoë was strumming the string of her bow absently. Bianca was awake but quiet. The silence was disarming, and before long, Wisty was struggling to keep awake.

She closed her eyes. Some more sleep couldn't hurt…

She wasn't sure what woke her up, whether it was sheer luck or some divine influence, but there was a buzzing in her brain, a flash of red behind her eyes, which snapped open to the blinding light of the desert sun, just in time to see the black dot on the horizon streak through the air towards their carriage with deadly precision. 'INCOMING!' she screamed, Riptide and her hunting knife already crossed in front of her head in desperate defense. Zoë jolted awake - apparently even she had fallen asleep - grabbed Bianca and dove onto the ground, covering the new Hunter's body with hers. Thalia had a wild look in her eyes, as if she didn't quite know what was happening but knew it was life-threateningly urgent, as she unleashed Aegis and scrambled to cover both Luke and herself.

All of this happened the instant before the missile hit. When it hit, several things happened, seemingly at once, but actually one after the other at a pace incomprehensible by the human consciousness. First, the shockwave, which blew up the sand around the tracks to form a terrifying dust storm and knocked their carriage multiple meters into the air. The weightlessness which followed was made even more unnerving by the booming explosion, which tore at Wisty's eardrums and resonated uncomfortably inside her bones. Her hair floated around her in chaos as she fell through the air in slow motion. Through the tangled blackness, she saw that she was headed straight for a window, head first. Holding Riptide and the knife in front of her in a doomed attempt to lessen the impact, she tried to close her eyes, but they remained wide open, frozen with terror.

Then, something else happened, entirely separate and miraculous. Another flash of scarlet behind her vision; a fleeting frame of a night sky with shining stars, followed by bright flashes of more vibrant colors - green, orange, purple - and a vision of a reddish sludge circling a shadow, unrecognizable but for his golden eyes and long hair. As she watched, transfixed, the sludge snaked out around him, disintegrating everything in his path, a burst of maniacal, harsh laughter like a knife being dragged along rough stone ringing out as the streams of the ruinous substance shot towards a distant mountain shrouded in darkness.

Then it was over, as quickly as it had started. The glass in front of her flared with a blood-red aura and shattered, right as her head was about to make impact. Wisty managed to land, rolling, onto the rough, coarse sand.

She lay there for a while, not willing to move. Her forehead was undoubtedly bleeding - the red drops were flowing into her eyes - and she could feel cuts on her legs, where glass shards had pierced her jeans. Her shoulder throbbed painfully, but deep down, she knew she was lucky to have survived a seemingly unavoidable headlong crash through two thick layers of reinforced glass. She could feel the heat from the fire the explosion had started.

She heard footsteps. 'Wisteria?' Zoë's voice was an octave higher than normal. Her lieutenant staggered over to her. The corner of her right eye was bleeding, and she looked like she was limping slightly. 'Oh, thank Artemis. Art thou alright?'

'Yeah. I think so.' She didn't think so. There was a slur in her voice and an ominous pressure in her chest, making it difficult to breathe. She struggled to stand up and winced as her legs failed to hold her weight. Zoë pushed her back down none too gently.

'Do not,' she ordered. 'That is an order. You crashed through glass headfirst, Wisteria, so I'd be damned if you could still speak properly, much less stand.' Bianca hurried over - looking mainly unscathed - and washed Wisty's face with some bottled water.

'Thank God,' she said, audibly relieved. 'It's just a deep cut, nothing more. Maybe a concussion.'

'Thank Artemis,' Zoë repeated. 'I do not know how you survived, but you did. We were hit by a missile. Whoever sent it aimed to kill.'

Wisty struggled up. Zoë tried to hold her down, but she shook her off. She wheezed a little as she wobbled on her feet. 'Yeah, I kind of gathered that. Just a bad landing. I'll be fine. What about you guys?'

Zoë winced. 'Some burns and cuts. Nothing serious.'

'Same,' Bianca added.

She noticed Luke and Thalia climb out of the wreckage of the train, both of them coughing and panting. Aegis looked as intimidating as ever, but a slight limp in Luke's feet and the way Thalia gingerly held her shield (left) arm made it clear that they hadn't gotten away unscathed.

'We're okay,' Thalia gasped. 'Wow, air has never tasted so good. Everyone okay?'

'Wisty crashed headfirst through two thick panes of glass,' Bianca said. 'Otherwise, fine.'

Thalia turned towards her, wide-eyed. 'How the _fuck_ are you still on your feet?'

'I don't know.' Maybe it was all an illusion. Wisty took a deep breath, trying to clear her chest. 'Luck.'

'Well,' Luke threw up his hands. 'What the hell are we going to do now? We're stranded. In the middle of the desert.'

'There is always something.' Zoë pointed towards the horizon. Wisty's vision was still a little blurry, but she squinted and saw what her lieutenant was pointing at. Piles of abandoned metal and scraps.

'A junkyard,' she said. 'In the middle of the wilderness.'

'For once, human pollution may help us.' Zoë started walking. 'Come on.'

The group started forwards, but Wisty lagged behind. She carefully picked her way through the wreckage of the train. Only their carriage was here; the rest of the train must have sped off unharmed. She was looking for her window. If she had really crashed through it, surely the shards would be scattered on the outside.

They were not. Instead, they were arranged in a perfect circle on the one single bit of flat ground amidst the debris. It was like some mysterious force had pushed away the stones to make way for this strange glass formation.

In the center sat a shard different from the rest: a blood-red piece of glass, shaped like a serrated blade. It pulsated with power; Wisty could feel its energy stirring the air, filling it with a mysterious vibration. It felt like a chained beast ready to be unleashed.

_The Bane of Olympus shows the trail…_

Whatever it was, she couldn't risk leaving it lying around. She picked it up. It glowed briefly in her hand, then disappeared, but the hum was still there, imbuing the atmosphere around her with vibrant vitality. She shuddered involuntarily.

A faint shout reached her ears. She looked up to see Thalia waving at her. It wasn't hot, but the air shimmered and distorted the daughter of Zeus like it would on a scorching summer afternoon. Everything seemed to be tinged with crimson. Wisty blinked, and whatever mirage which held sway over her eyes was gone.

She wasn't sure what unworldly event had just taken place: who hit them with a military-grade missile, what the mystical red shard was, whether it was the bane of Olympus or not. Too many questions and no answers at all.

Someone was targeting them, trying to stop them from reaching Artemis and Annabeth. Someone was in the shadows, controlling their every move: chasing them, influencing them, attacking them and forcing the quest to move in tandem to their desires. Whether the two someones were the same person, Wisty didn't know, but far too many incidents have happened for her to pass it off as random, disorganized harassing. And now, this missile.

Annabeth had once taught her basic chess. Wisty wasn't 'too bad for a beginner', but the daughter of Athena had crushed her with relentless pressure leading up to a hidden, deadly attack.

' _Queen g-2. Checkmate. The classic diagonal battery* sniper.' Annabeth grinned triumphantly. 'Tough luck, Jackson.'_

_Wisty stared incredulously, then shook her head. It was indeed checkmate. 'I didn't even see it,' she said ruefully with a hint of awe. 'You were chipping away at the other side for so long that I didn't pay any attention to my king.'_

' _The deadliest attacks in chess are the most difficult to see,' Annabeth said, resetting the board. 'This kill is usually obvious, but divert someone's attention and it's difficult for them to even consider the possibility. Tons of distractions - and a sudden clean knife to the throat.'_

' _Literally,' Wisty chuckled. 'The second row. Not quite the head.'_

' _The second_ rank _,' Annabeth corrected. 'Up for another battle?'_

' _Sure.' Wisty positioned her pieces how Annabeth had taught her to. 'You talk about chess like it's a war.'_

' _Chess is war. I'm white this time.' Annabeth rotated the board around. 'Many strategies in chess can be used somewhere in a battle. Taking control of key positions, pinning down important pieces, using the opponent's pieces against them - these tactics originated from war.'_

Someone was playing an intricate game on many fronts. While their quest stumbled and floundered in attack after attack, the pieces were falling silently into place. And as they rested and relaxed and dropped their guard, the kill was there to be made. There was no subtlety at all to this missile. This particular strike was meant to kill.

But it hadn't killed anyone. All of them were fine. No detached limbs, no broken bones, not even a sprained wrist.

' _One shall be lost in the land without rain…'_

Thalia shouted again, and Wisty hurried to reach her friends. But as she waved at the rest of the group, the clouds swallowed the bright sunlight, and she couldn't shake the feeling that all of them had just cheated death.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story is complete on FFN. I'll finish porting it to here over the next week or so but you can head over and check it out if you want! Happy reading.

**10**

' _You are not supposed to be alive…'_

The words echoed repeatedly in Wisty's mind like a mantra. The disturbing thing was, she wasn't sure if she was the one thinking it, or if someone else was thinking it. The voice - no, _voices -_ in her head didn't sound like hers. It sounded more like three layers of different pitches of her voice being forced to harmonize, producing an eerie quality that tore at her mind and wrestled with her sanity.

' _You are not supposed to be alive…'_

' _Leave, Moirai. We do not answer to you.'_ A different voice which sounded like an older version of herself, but disjointed and ethereal. With a hiss, the three freeloaders in her head retreated.

Was that her, or someone else? Either way, Wisty was grateful, because the distorted clamor in her head had faded away, replaced by a welcome silence. She became aware of the discussion going on beside her, as Zoë and Thalia argued their next course.

'There's a van _right there,_ Zoë,' Thalia snapped. 'We take it, we leave, we go about our business. Sounds _fine_ to me.'

There was, in fact, a van next to them, looking around a century old and probably out of gas. The poor vehicle's body was so dirty it was practically black, but the occasional sickly yellowish-white peeking out from behind the grime indicated that it had, possibly, once upon a time been white. Yes, seriously difficult to believe, but Wisty was almost seventy percent sure.

'We are not touching anything in this junkyard,' Zoë hissed back. 'This is no mortal dumpster. Do thou see all the scrap celestial bronze around thee? This place reeks of divine defects.'

'If this thing is divine, then I can fly.' Thalia rapped her knuckles on the van door and made a disgusted face as she cleaned her fingers of dust. Where her hand made contact with the door was now three fresh spots of gray-white-yellow-some other color. 'It looks like it died and came back to life just to die again.'

'Do _not_ touch it again.' Zoë snatched Thalia's hand away from the van. 'This is a junkyard for a reason. Whatever doesn't work or isn't up to standard, the gods dump here. Everything is riddled with traps and curses.' To illustrate her point, the lieutenant kicked a bronze bird. It instantly came to life, flapped its one good wing, and careened drunkenly sideways into a pile of shattered helmets, where it once again lay lifeless. Thalia looked considerably less enthusiastic about her van.

'Well, we don't have a lot of choices here,' she muttered. 'But sure, have it your way.'

'Hey guys, look!' Bianca called from a few yards ahead. She was at the foot of a giant mound of rusty metal. 'This looks like something we can use.'

Thalia rushed over, Luke close behind her. After a moment of hesitation, Wisty followed too, tailed by Zoë, who was muttering under her breath and looked like an exasperated mother with young misbehaving children.

'How's a few chunks of rusty metal useful?' Thalia squinted. 'I'm not seeing the _usefulness_ here.'

'It's not just a few pieces of rusty metal, Thalia.' Bianca rolled her eyes. _'Look.'_

'It's a robot,' Wisty noted. She could see where the legs and the arms were. 'Look, the head is up there.'

' _Don't_ touch it!' Zoë snapped. Her voice was an octave higher than usual. 'Do _not_ touch it.'

Thalia rolled her eyes. 'Why _not?_ What's it gonna do, bite me?'

'It could step on you.'

'Oh, come _on_ Zoë. It will not _step on me._ ' As if to prove her point, Thalia kicked one of its toes. ' _Ouch._ This thing is hard.'

Luke snorted. 'It's metal.' Thalia punched him. Wisty snickered.

They moved on from the toes and walked for another few miles aimlessly until Wisty had enough. 'Let's split up,' she suggested. 'Cursed or not, this junkyard has to have something useful which is not that truck. If anyone finds a useable car, tool, anything, holler.'

Everyone nodded, even Zoë, who looked like she'd accepted that there was no other option. They headed their separate ways - Bianca doubled back, Zoë went left, Luke and Thalia went right, and Wisty continued forwards. Within minutes, she couldn't see any of the others anymore, and Wisty was alone in this lifeless, desolate junkyard of the gods.

There was little to do, little to see, and little of value as Wisty continued along the barely visible path, which was riddled with little metal trinkets and gadgets and scraps that made it almost as difficult to traverse as the dumpster hills themselves. The entire place was depressing, and there was a niggling throbbing in her palm where she'd picked up the red fragment which didn't help her mood. She was about to shout, scream, stamp her feet and cause an earthquake, or all of the above when she finally found something of interest.

Ahead of her, the narrow path widened into a wide clearing of hard dirt. In its center was deep hollow, perfectly circular and filled with scrap bits of something - she could identify a head, a hand with two missing fingers, and a big toe. _A robot?_

'Now, how would this be useful…' she muttered to herself. She wished some of the Hephaestus kids were here.

' _Talos, the automaton protector. Gifted by grandson dearest to Minos, the king of Crete.'_

Wisty jumped. 'Rhea…'

' _Hello again, Wisty.'_ The Titaness sounded tired. _'I hope it has not been too long.'_

'No, it hasn't. I've got enough voices in my head as it is.' _Rhea, herself, and the one who left._ 'The count's up to two now. Three, if you count the one that left.'

' _Interesting. I do not sense anything...no matter. Talos will be your transportation west.'_

Wisty stared at the discarded pile of celestial bronze. 'You want me to fix that thing?'

' _Not fix. Activate.'_

'And how on earth am I meant to do that?'

' _Like I taught you before.'_

Wisty glared at the metal scraps. 'Where have you been, Rhea? I could've used the help _before_ we got missile-bombed.'

' _Apologies, dearest, I've been—'_

'Raising your sails? Mingling with the enemy?'

' _How—Wisteria, you have to trust me—'_

Wisty raised her hands. 'Want to. Kind of don't though.'

' _I helped Olympus when it was raised. I will help it again.'_ Rhea sounded genuinely pleading.

'Tell me, are you the one who called the missile strike?'

' _No, why would I order a missile strike on myself?'_

'You're a Titaness. You would've survived.'

' _You do not understand, do you, girl?'_ Rhea sounded angry, now. _'I am still in Tartarus! Without your body, I cannot do_ anything. _This vessel—'_

'This _vessel_ is _me!'_ Wisty screamed. 'This is _my_ body, grandmother dearest. Don't patronize me when you're still stuck inside the deepest pit of Hell, because you need me and I don't need you. So you better - you better stop looking through my eyes and listening through my ears and sifting through my mind, and you'd do well to remember that _I_ am in control.'

'And if you can't swear that you're not working with Kronos, I'll leave the quest and go... _somewhere,_ somewhere where you won't be able to do anything but watch.'

' _You will do no such thing.'_

Wisty smiled grimly. 'I only have myself to lose. What about you, my Queen?'

A poignant pause. Then… _'Fine. I swear on the River Styx that I am not working with Kronos.'_

Wisty waited. Nothing happened, so she assumed the oath held true. 'Fine, I believe you. For now.'

' _Very well.'_ Rhea sounded petulant, almost. _'Now, let us accomplish something actually useful.'_

'I could barely move a shampoo bottle. I can't animate a ten-ton automaton.'

' _I have a feeling you can now.'_

'What is _that_ supposed to mean?' But Wisty held out her hands anyway and concentrated, as Rhea had told her to do. Surprisingly, the metal scraps started floating, encased by reddish energy not dissimilar to the one which flared before the train window cracked.

Wisty flexed her fingers, and the automaton parts responded, closing in and spreading out as her fist closed and opened. 'Wow. How am I doing this?'

' _Your power reservoir has increased exponentially. From what, I do not know. But it is as unsettling as it is fascinating.'_

If something could unsettle the queen of the Titans, Wisty was pleased that she was the one who had it. But there was still a minor problem. 'Quick question, how do you assemble an automaton?'

* * *

With Rhea's instructions (and the occasional exasperated groan), Wisty managed to somehow connect all the wires inside _and_ assemble it mostly correctly. A few fingers were missing and one of its feet had a hole in it which had a mess of wires and circuit boards, but otherwise, the robot looked fine, if not a little dusty.

She didn't even feel that tired - a little winded, sure, but nothing a quick drink couldn't fix. Rhea was right. Somehow her telekinesis powers have increased a hundredfold or more, and she had a feeling it had something to do with the red shard she'd picked up back at the train wreckage. And according to Rhea, it could only increase.

She didn't know what to make of it. Ever since she got claimed by Poseidon, people have been warning her to keep her Earthshaker powers under careful control. She didn't know if she wanted more power to be careful of.

But, if it helped her fight to protect the ones she loved, then she was all for it.

'So what, am I meant to hold it together all the way to San Francisco?'

' _Of course not. Now that all the mechanical parts are in place, the robot should activate on command.'_

'Oo-kay, I'm going to get everyone here before we do something like that.' Wisty snapped her fingers, and two separate sheens of mist formed. The sunlight refracted off of them to form mini-rainbows. She fished out two drachmas from her pocket and threw them into the temporary Iris-messaging stations. 'Lady Iris, accept my offering. Show me Zoë Nightshade and Thalia Grace.'

The rainbows shimmered until two images coalesced. 'Hey, Zoë. Thalia, turn around.'

'Wisteria.' Zoë nodded at her as Thalia and Luke whipped their heads around. 'Have you found anything?'

'Have you?' Wisty asked hopefully. She didn't want to ride a robot. But both Zoë and Thalia shook their heads.

'Junk and more junk,' Luke supplied helpfully. Thalia nodded in agreement.

'Well, I have something. It's not great, but it's...interesting,' Wisty sighed. 'I'll make a signal, just go to where it appears.'

She waved the Iris-messages away, then stomped her feet. A huge spout of water shot out from the ground and exploded in the sky, making a huge, booming noise that shook the earth beneath her. 'That should do it.'

She was surprised at how easily she was controlling her element, even if it was _her_ element. Her power was flowing so smoothly, smoother than ever before, and she felt like she could destroy the world if she wanted to. _Earthshaker. Stormbringer._

 _Woah, Wisty. Do not destroy the entire world._ She shook her head clear of the unbidden thoughts. She didn't know where they were coming from.

Sighing, she took a seat on the ground. The others were far away. This could take a while.

* * *

'Is this a joke?' Bianca asked as she arrived, glancing up at the inactive automaton. 'How are we even supposed to ride that?'

'It's voice-activated, apparently.' Wisty shrugged. 'I think it just grabs us.'

Zoë eyed the statue with suspicion. 'This is Talos, Minos's automaton. How is it even here? Did thou assemble it?'

'Is it important?' Wisty asked. 'The important thing is we have something other than a thousand-year-old van.'

'What in Zeus's name is _that?'_ The trio turned to see Thalia and Luke arrive. 'A robot?'

'An automaton called Talos, apparently,' Wisty said. 'It's supposed to be voice-activated.'

'Right,' Luke said. 'So we just go, _hey Talos!,_ and hope it doesn't kill us?'

Right on cue, the robot's dark, red eyes brightened. It shifted and creaked. Everyone took an instinctive step back.

'Well, it has activated,' Zoë said. 'Let us hope it works.'

With a groan, Talos bent down. It's beady red eyes stared straight at them.

'Luke, I swear to all the gods…' Wisty muttered.

' _Voice activation successful. Command: 'kill'. Targets acquired.'_

'Did I hear that right?' Thalia asked, taking more steps back. 'Please tell me I didn't hear that right.'

Talos swept a pillar of an arm at them. Wisty dove to avoid getting decapitated and hoped everyone else did the same. 'YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT! GET OUT OF THE GOD DAMN HOLE NOW!'

' _Wisteria, how did your group manage to mess even_ this _up?'_

'Incoming!' Thalia screamed, at the same time as Wisty, who yelled _'Shut up!'_ at Rhea. A barrage of unused scraps rained down at them. Wisty rolled out of the way of a large one and sliced a lead pipe in half with her knife.

'What?' Thalia shouted. 'I didn't—'

'Wasn't at you!'Wisty screamed back. 'Retreat!'

They all scrambled out of the hollow and watched as Talos struggled to step out of it. 'Hey, it can't get out,' Luke huffed. 'Maybe—'

The earth reverberated with a huge groan, and in front of their disbelieving eyes, Talos _flew,_ his feet shooting out jets of steam as the hundred-ton bronze giant blasted off into the air. 'You had to jinx it,' Wisty said.

'Anyone got a helpful plan?' Thalia asked hopefully.

Zoë shook her head. Bianca shook her head. Luke shook his head. Wisty was about to follow suit when she remembered something.

'There's an open hatch on one of its feet,' she said. 'If we get in it we can rip its circuit apart.'

'Small problem,' Luke said. 'It's flying.'

'Well, we'll have to—DODGE!' They all dove in different directions as Talos came in for another round, its right foot stomping down on the place where they were a millisecond ago. 'We'll have to bait!'

'Which foot is it?' Bianca yelled.

'The left one!' Zoë shouted back. 'The right doesn't have an opening!'

'Spread out!' Wisty shouted. 'That way it has to keep to the ground to hurt us all!'

They fanned out around the robot. As predicted, it didn't take to the sky again. Its head swiveled around and its metallic mouth made unintelligible creaks and groans, as if it was confused about which demigod to turn into a pancake first. Finally, it settled on Luke.

'Why is it me?' he complained. But he stood firm as the robot charged. At the last moment, he rolled out of the way. Wisty could see the robot raising its left leg.'

'Now's your chance!' she screamed.

Luke looked up determinedly, but his eyes widened as the foot came down. He dove out of the way as the metal made contact with the ground with a huge boom.

'That hole is fucking tiny!' he yelled. 'There's no way someone can get in there!'

As he shouted, he didn't remember to get up. Wisty watched, frozen, as the giant raised its foot again. Luke raised his head. His eyes widened and he started scrambling away, but it was too late.

'NO!' Thalia screamed. A blue arc of lightning shot out, making the giant freeze. With its whole weight on one foot, it wavered in the air and fell over. Luke barely managed to launch himself out of the area of impact, but the sheer force of the giant falling still knocked him into the air. He crashed onto an Olympus-Air refrigerator, dazed. Wisty was already sprinting towards the giant, hoping to crawl into its foot before it recovered, but she was a fraction of a second late and had to dive left to avoid getting squished as it recovered with surprising speed.

She landed awkwardly on a trash heap. Something was sticking into her ribs, and her shoulder throbbed. 'Ouch…'

'Thalia, do that again the next time it raises its foot!' Zoë yelled. She heard a _clang_ and the lieutenant shout, 'Come get me, you...stupid, oversized piece of metal!'

Hearing Zoë shout insults as bait was probably one of the funniest things Wisty has ever heard. Still, Talos turned towards the lieutenant and made a particularly loud groan, as if it was insulted, and charged. It raised its foot to stomp, but Thalia shot another arc of electricity. It fell and Zoë dove inside the foot.

'Yes!' Bianca yelled.

'Zoë!' Wisty staggered to her feet. She could only hope the lieutenant was okay. As she watched, the giant attempted to get up, but it seemed to lose control of its motor functions. It first rotated its head one-hundred-and-eighty degrees. Then it punched itself in the face.

' _Intruder detected. Activating ejection maneuver.'_

Talos lifted his foot, and a high-speed jet of water shot out along with Zoë. She slammed into a discarded car door, which dented from the impact, and crumpled onto the ground, holding her side. The giant got up, apparently undeterred by whatever Zoë had done inside, and fixed its eyes on the struggling huntress.

'No!' Wisty stomped the ground, and the earth shook, making the giant stumble and fall over again. She and Bianca ran towards the lieutenant and carried her behind a dumpster hill, out of sight for now.

'There is a control panel inside the foot,' Zoë groaned. 'There was a red button but it was stuck. I couldn't hit it hard enough. It may deactivate the giant.'

'A red button?'

'Yes!' Zoë snapped. 'Hurry, you fools. Talos will not stay down for long.'

'Got it.' But Bianca was already off, sprinting towards the metal giant. Wisty gave Zoë some squished ambrosia and followed close behind.

They arrived just in time to see Talos stand up again. 'Here's the plan,' Bianca said. 'I go in, you hold off the water so I can punch the button.'

A feeling of dread enveloped WIsty's entire being. She couldn't let Bianca go in the foot. 'No,' she shook her head adamantly. 'You distract, _I_ go in, hold off the water and push the button.'

'That makes no sense,' Bianca said. 'Why would you multitask if there's another person here?'

 _Because you're new. Unexperienced. Unprepared. Because you're going to die._ 'I can't control the water from so far away.'

Bianca glanced at her, a little smile on her face. 'Don't give me that bullshit, Wisty. I might be new but I'm not stupid. Get ready.'

The giant stomped at them. 'Thalia!'

'I can't do many more!' Thalia staggered, but still managed another weaker lightning bolt. The giant wobbled but didn't fall. Wisty and Bianca both dove for the foot. She strained, trying to outfly Bianca in the air. She was so close - so close, so close, almost there…

Too late, she noticed Bianca's outstretched leg. The girl kicked her in the chest, and Wisty's course was diverted. Before she even landed, Bianca landed underneath the foot and disappeared.

' _Intruder detected. Activating ejection maneuver.'_

Wisty's heart pounded with dread, but she closed her eyes anyway, trying to sense the water stream. She could feel it, roaring through the robot's leg towards Bianca, who was scrabbling around in near-total darkness - save for the red glow of circuit boards - for the control panel. With a thrust of her hands, the water stopped.

'Bianca!' she shouted, hoping the new Hunter could hear her. 'I got the water!'

Zoë staggered towards her. 'Hold your concentration!'

' _Not_ helping!' Wisty snapped. Her arm trembled with intangible exertion. 'Hurry up!'

'Hey!' It was Thalia and Luke. 'What - is _Bianca_ in there?'

Wisty glared at her. 'What do you _think_?'

They all stared at Talos, waiting for some sort of reaction. Nothing was happening, except the robot kept repeating _'activating ejection maneuver'._ With each repetition, the strength of the water increased, and Wisty had to add another arm - it didn't actually help, but it felt right - to prevent herself from being overwhelmed.

' _Do something!'_ she screamed.

Talos, apparently fed up as well, stopped repeating his mantra. His left foot's shadow enveloped them as he prepared to stomp again. She could see the others diving aside, but she was rooted in place, her limbs frozen as she struggled against the force of the water. Even if she could get into the same hole, she would be crushed against Bianca and break every bone in both their bodies.

' _Wisteria!'_ Zoë cried. 'Let go!'

The foot came down. Wisty closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

It never came.

'Its eyes!' Thalia shouted. 'They're dimming! Bianca did it!'

Wisty let go and, with the last of her strength, dove aside. Bianca rocketed out onto the ground and managed to use that momentum to roll away. Talos was frozen. Slowly, he began to tilt towards the ground.

'She did it!' Luke cheered. Wisty let go of a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

She looked at Bianca, who sat in a puddle of water as she wrung water out of her shirt. The girl gave them a tired grin. 'Not bad for a rookie, eh?'

Wisty smiled, relieved beyond all measures, as Talos hit the ground behind her with an ear-splitting crash. 'Yeah, not bad for a rookie.'

Her smile faltered when a shadow swept across her vision. Whipping around, she noticed a power line, still connected to its falling beam, hurtling towards Bianca's puddle. Before she could get up, shout _watch out,_ do _anything,_ it hit her.

An explosion. A blinding blue flash. No scream.

And suddenly where Bianca had been laid a girl, her left side charred beyond recognition, in the middle of a circle of blackened earth. Wisty clambered over, her entire being numb with shock.

The air around the body smelled like ozone and burnt flesh. Bianca's eyes were open - her face was the only thing which had been spared - but they were lifeless, simply pupils staring sightlessly at the sky. Her lips were still frozen with the grin she had been wearing, her hands still wrapped tightly around her shirt, except it was dry. The heat had seared all moisture from her clothes.

She thought she could sense the others arriving, but couldn't tear her eyes away from Bianca's body. She could only stand stiffly and stare. They formed a circle around the young girl, each person wordless. Thalia's eyes brimmed with tears.

But Wisty couldn't bring herself to cry. She could only tremble, frozen, staring at the remains of the girl who had been so triumphant a moment earlier. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.

Fate had caught up to them. She was meant to die in the trainwreck, but she had escaped. Now, Bianca had paid for her transgression.

A ghostly ripple of sinister laughter echoed in her mind. It sounded like herself. _'Do not tamper with the strings of Fate, demigod. Let this be a warning.'_

' _Dread it, run from it...destiny still arrives.'_

Zoë knelt, tears streaming freely down her face. With trembling hands, she closed Bianca's eyes and murmured a blessing. _'Ave, Bianca di Angelo.'_

' _Ave, Bianca di Angelo.'_

' _Ave, Bianca di Angelo.'_

' _Ave, Bianca di Angelo.'_

Wisty finally managed to let out a strangled sob. _'...Ave, Bianca di Angelo!'_

Bianca's body shimmered and faded into silver particles. A soft breeze, and she was gone.

* * *

_Mors ultima ratio_


End file.
